Coincidence
by cousin D
Summary: Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors) Crossover with Gundam Wing. Shonen-ai.  Nasutei (Mia) dreams of a prophecy for the future. Ryo meets a braided childhood friend, Duo Maxwell. Chapter 16 is up! Finished!
1. Chapter 1   Prophecy

Ronin Warriors crossover with Gundam Wing  
  
These characters are not mine. Don't I wish!   
  
  
Written by Cousin D  
  
I prefer to use the Japanese names so here's the conversion for anyone who doesn't know them.  
  
Ronin Warriors-Samurai Troopers  
Ma-Sho-Warlords  
  
Ryo-Sanada Ryo  
Sage-Date Seiji  
Rowen-Hashiba Touma   
Kento-Shu Rei Faun  
Cye- Mouri Shin  
  
Anubis-Sh'ten  
Dais-Rajura  
Sekhmet-Naaza  
Cale-Anubis  
  
Taulpa-Arago  
  
The Ancient-Kaosu  
  
Mia Koji- Yagiyu Nasutei (Nasty)  
  
  
  
  
PROPHECY  
  
  
  
  
Nasutei was dreaming of herself standing in a black void when the chant and nine figures appeared before her, shown only in shadow. Instantly, Nasutei knew that these were the Samurai Troopers and the Ma-Sho. These boys were completely still in shadow and the chant continued in the voice of the Ancient, Kaosu.  
  
  
  
  
Torch of spirit, sought through five,  
Drinking strength from immortal fire,  
The darkest prison sheds the light,  
Churning beneath a swirl of salt,  
Burning within a throne of rock,  
Floating amongst the eyes of the ages,  
Un-moored in the stream of the sky.  
  
If they should fail or fall  
Others shall heed the call  
Yet flawed and crippled, though they be  
To wear the armors, destiny  
  
Benevolence  
Faith  
Courtesy  
Wisdom  
Justice  
  
Loyalty  
Obedience  
Endurance  
Piety  
  
Passion  
Compassion  
Harmony  
Honor  
Will  
Innocence  
  
As the chant rang on, the shadows of her boys and the Ma-Sho were replaced by new shadows of six people. Each of the new traits was chanted, the shadows lifted and Nasutei could see the new people, most were still unfamiliar, as they were neither Troopers nor Ma-Sho.   
  
One was a small girl with long black hair and old fashioned ceremonial clothes.   
Her eyes were wide and bright with a shining brightness, but Nasutei had never seen the little girl before.  
  
The first boy wore a long auburn braid and a crooked grin, his eyes were lit like fires. The second boy was smaller and had bright blond hair with a sweet expression. The third stood stiffly with his arms crossed over his chest and brown hair that fell over his left eye, obscuring it completely. The fourth had his hair slicked back and shiny, tied into a tiny pony tail at the base of his neck. He looked Chinese and glared straight ahead of him. The fourth stood without expression. His face was cold and his eyes blank. The boy was painfully thin and had numerous scars lacing his skin.   
  
  
  
  
Nasutei woke with a gasp, the prophecy still echoing in her mind along with the faces of the new people she'd seen. She looked around to find herself alone in her own bedroom. She knew the boys were just down the hall in their own rooms. There was no danger, at least she tried to convince herself of that. If there was a dynasty attack, then the boys would know.  
  
It was still the middle of the night and she was drenched in sweat, as if she'd just been in a horrible nightmare, but perhaps that's what it was. But, she had learned, long ago, not to dismiss dreams.  
  
"IF THESE SHOULD FAIL OR FALL," That had an ominous feel to it. Would her boys die? That thought caused a chill to run down her spine.  
  
"OTHERS SHALL HEED THE CALL," That must mean... Her thoughts trailed off. What could it mean? That other warriors were waiting to wear the armor? It didn't sound good, whatever it meant.   
  
A knock at the door got her attention. "Nasutei-sama? Are you all right?" She quickly recognized the voice of Sh'ten, her resident ex-evil who was now their mystic replacement for the dead Kaosu. Kaosu had been the powerful monk who'd gathered them all together in the first place, but he'd passed his powers to Sh'ten. Sh'ten was trying very hard to prove himself to the Troopers who, for the most part, didn't trust him. Nasutei trusted him, she didn't know why, but she really did trust him.   
  
"I'm fine." Nasutei slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe. She was, by now, wide awake and didn't want to worry anyone, just in case it was a silly dream, as unlikely as that was. "What are you doing up at this hour?" She asked, opening the door and hoping she didn't look to frightening.   
  
Her breath caught at the sight of him. He was simply the most beautiful man on the face of the earth. Yes, beautiful was definitely the word to describe him. Certainly he couldn't be considered handsome, but his face was sharp and his long red hair looked soft as silk. Sh'ten, as usual, was still in his monk's robes and he never seemed to take them off.   
  
"I was bothered by something, but I'm not sure what." Sh'ten told her. "I thought I heard you talking in your sleep." He looked at her with concern. "Did you have a nightmare?"  
  
Nasutei shook her head. "Something like that. I need to go to my library and do a little research." She stepped out into the hall and looked up at his sharp green eyes. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"  
  
"I'd rather help you."  
  
"Oh." Nasutei hoped it was dark enough in the unlit hall that he wouldn't see her blush. It must be her imagination. Sh'ten couldn't mean that like she hoped he did. He was just worried about a new threat from the Nether Realms.  
  
  
  
  
The two of them did their best to be quiet while they worked through the night. It was quiet lately, for some reason there was no trouble from the Nether Realms and that was making everyone nervous, especially Sh'ten who knew first hand that Arago hadn't given up. The Troopers still needed sleep, though. They were training daily to improve, as they knew the next battle would be soon and they had to be ready. Shin had worked himself until he passed out and Touma had almost broken his ankle while sparing with Seiji. Nasutei knew they were doing their best, but they refused to stop and rest. They couldn't fight if they hurt themselves practicing!  
  
Nasutei was tapping at the keyboard of her computer while Sh'ten flipped through ancient, leather bound book. "Are you sure about what the prophecy said?" Sh'ten asked, trying to find some reference to Nasutei's dream. Nasutei had the most amazing library, thanks to her dear grandfather. It was absolutely huge and had the answer to almost every question that could be asked. Basically, if it wasn't in that library, it wasn't anywhere on Earth. Though, Sh'ten had mentioned that he'd had a quite impressive library in the Nether Realms and Nasutei wanted more than anything to see it, just for a little while.  
  
"Yes, it spoke of another six who would come to take the armor if the Troopers should die." She tried to sound calm, but those boys were like brothers to her! The thought of any one them dying was...painful to say the very least. "The dream also mentioned other traits, now what were they? Oh, yes, loyalty, Piety, Obedience, and Endurance. I don't know who they are supposed to be, either."  
  
Sh'ten didn't bother to look up from his book. "Those are my brothers and myself. It must include us as we may also fall in the battle." Sh'ten continued flipping. "I don't remember any thing like that from Arago's teachings, but it does sound like the sort of thing that he'd skip. Why discourage your army, after all?" He paused, staring at one page in front of him. "Nasutei-sama?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where did your grandfather get all these books?"  
  
"I'm not sure. Why?"  
  
"Because he either has the most incredible luck when it comes to shopping, or I'll wager Kaosu gave him a few of these. Listen to this," Sh'ten started reading as Nasutei stood up from her computer and walked toward him. "If the warriors fall, six youths shall come to wear the armor. They are to be found in all cultures of the Earth and will be hardened by battle, scarred by life. Two will be found in a place of learning and will lead to the others. Keep these six from harm, else victory is unreachable." Sh'ten paused and looked into space for a moment, thinking. "The prophecy didn't say which armors these six would take or who would die. Just that they would be available to wear the armor, if necessary."  
  
Nasutei walked to the window and looked out at the moon above the lake. "That means they could take the Troopers armors or the Ma-Sho, right?"  
  
Sh'ten carefully set down the book and went to stand next to her. "Yes. I think so. It also makes our battle more dangerous, you know. They can't kill us without one of these others coming to the armor, but we can't kill them. Perhaps we should contact these six, just so we know who they are."  
  
"I wonder why the Ma-Sho don't have a poem, like the Troopers do." Then Nasutei paused. Her eyes grew wide with fright as she thought of something. "Wait a minute, do you think Arago knows about these others?"  
  
The Ma-Sho's eyes narrowed. "I don't know, but I would expect so. It would not be unreasonable for him want them just so he could have a replacement for the armors. Corrupt them now, then when they take the armor, supposedly one of the Troopers, they will be loyal to him. If he's lucky, then he'll soon have all the armors on his side and he will be unstoppable."  
  
With his staff in hand, Sh'ten started to walk out of the library. "Where are you going?" Nasutei asked.  
  
"To wake the others. They should know about this so we can form a strategy."  
  
Nasutei took his arm. "It's five in the morning, Sh'ten. Let them sleep a little longer. They've worked so hard and there's nothing we can do now, anyway." Sh'ten looked down at the frail looking young woman. She smiled sweetly. "Just let them rest a little longer. Come on, I'll make you an early breakfast while we wait."  
  
He just couldn't resist her smile or the offer of breakfast.   
  
  
  
A few hours later-  
  
  
Seiji spoke up, he'd been quiet for some time, trying to decipher something new in Nasutei's dream. "What about those boys? Would you know them if you saw them?" Seiji's voice was rusty from disuse. He disliked speaking and because of it, he didn't. He would communicate telepathically when he had to with the other Troopers, but the only person he usually spoke with was Nasutei.  
  
They had all woken up far after sunrise and ate Shin's cooking while they were filled in about what Nasutei's dream and what Sh'ten and her thought it meant.  
Shu sat on the couch in the library with a cheerful smile as he devoured Shin's cooking. He seemed to be the only one not downhearted with the news.   
  
"Maybe, but I'm not sure. The dream is all ready fading and I was so intent to write down the prophecy that I didn't write what they looked like, so now the memory is fading." She paused, sipping her tea. "Besides, they weren't all boys, one of them was a girl. A little girl."  
  
With a deep breath, Sh'ten looked at them and hoped they would accept his council. Really, they had no reason to trust him, but this had to be done. "We are going to have to find them all and convince them that if they ever need to take the armor then they will not turn to Arago."  
  
"I think Sh'ten's right, we should try to find them." Ryo said. "If...If we do die in the fight, then it would be good to have replacements to wear the armor and fight. Better than letting Arago get them, anyway." Ryo was sitting on the floor with Byakuen curled around him comfortably. Ryo ran his fingers absently through Byakuen's soft fur while he worried. Was this also a foretelling that one of them would fall? How would Sh'ten feel if one of his former friends were the one to fall instead of the Troopers?   
  
Shu spoke up. "I don't know why you're all so worried. Nothing in the dream or the book said we WOULD die. It just said that in case we die, we'd have them as back up."  
  
Touma nodded, realistic as ever. "Yes, we all knew that in this war some of us might die. Especially with the caliber of the Ma-Sho."  
  
Sh'ten smiled at the compliment.  
  
"We should be happy that someone thought to have replacements, but I am worried about Arago finding them first. We have to convince them of who's on the right side."  
  
Nasutei looked at her computer and started tapping away. "Let me see what I can do. They were quite distinctive looking, so maybe I can remember a little and track them down. The book said something about a place of learning, so they must be at a school. We'll just have to look in all the schools, I guess."  
  
It didn't take long for Nasutei to sign each of the five boy up at schools around the area.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Continued... 


	2. Chapter  2   Ryo's Friend

CHAPTER TWO  
  
  
  
  
  
"Class, may I introduce our newest student, Mr. Sanada Ryo." The teacher looked at the boy who stood at the front of the class and waved casually back to everyone. He didn't look like he belonged here at all. This was a private school, for only the richest and most powerful on the planet. Everyone at the school was elite in one way or another and looked the part.   
  
This boy, Ryo, had very long black hair that fell down his back and fell into his eyes. He had on worn jeans and a red T-shirt that had seen better days. Other than that, he had nothing. No books or bag. It was like he'd just walked in off the street.  
  
Duo Maxwell, sitting at the back with his koibito (boyfriend), Heero Yuy, looked up sharply at the name. A smile grew quickly and Duo stood up, almost knocking over his desk. "Ryo!" He cried happily.  
  
Ryo looked up and saw Duo. "Duo!" Both boys ran to each other and hugged. They started chattering happily, not seeming to notice that everyone was staring. "I haven't seen you in ages!" Ryo exclaimed. "I can't believe your hair, it's two feet longer!" Ryo took Duo's prized braid by the end and gave it a familiar tug, making Duo smile even wider.  
  
Duo laughed. "Yeah, but you haven't gotten your hair cut yet." He flicked Ryo's long hair out of his eyes. "Jeeze, don't you comb it?" Duo ran his fingers through Ryo's long black hair, all the way down its full length and leaving his hand on Ryo's back.  
  
"You're one to talk, Mr. Vanity." They laughed and Ryo didn't see the black look from Heero.  
  
"Boys?" They both turned and seemed to be surprised that everyone was staring. The teacher looked at them, decidedly not amused. "If you've finished. Mr. Sanada, please take the seat next to Duo and we'll see if we can get you some books later. Try not to talk through class. I don't think I can hold much hope for that but it's the only empty seat."  
  
Ryo smiled. "Yes, thank you, ma'am." With that, he headed over to the empty seat next to Duo and the window.  
  
"What are you doing here, Ryo?" Duo asked, a little more subdued. He hadn't stopped smiling, not that he ever did anyway. "I haven't heard a thing from you since you ran away six years ago."  
  
Ryo blushed and couldn't quite meet Duo's eyes. "Well, the orphanage wasn't the place for me, you know. Things to do."  
  
Duo sniffed. "Well, I thought you died or something, you know. That creepy old geezer was weirder than anything. You never tried to write or call anything. I ran away a year later and ended up in space, on one of the colonies."  
  
"Really? In outer space? Wow!" Ryo's eyes widened in appreciation. "Hey, who's your friend?" Ryo looked over Duo's shoulder at Heero who stared at the front of the room blankly.  
  
Heero didn't even acknowledge him. Ryo looked at Duo, puzzled, and Duo shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Heero's all right, he's just like that." But Duo was worried. He'd known Heero for long enough to know when Heero was angry, though it didn't often show, Duo could tell. Subtle ticks and little gestures gave away Heero's emotions. Now, why should Heero be angry?  
  
  
  
As the morning went on, Duo came to realize that Ryo had no interest in school. He daydreamed though out the class and, Duo saw suspiciously, kept watching Heero. During a break, Ryo looked at Duo. "Your friend doesn't seem very friendly, if you'll excuse my saying so."  
  
Duo frowned. "I told you. He's just like that. He's not trying to be rude."  
  
"What's his name?"  
  
"Heero Yuy. Why do you ask?" Duo thought he saw a light flash for just a moment in the other boy's eyes, but it dimmed quickly.   
  
"No reason." Ryo smiled as if nothing happened, but Duo was suspicious. He didn't want to think his old friend was up to anything bad, but, well, he had to protect Heero, after all. Heero belonged to HIM!  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
I THINK I'VE FOUND THEM, Ryo said to the others. THESE TWO GUYS FEELS LIKE THEY MIGHT BE THE SAME AS US.   
  
Through the link, Ryo got a sudden impression of cool, soothing water washing over his face and Shin spoke. WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE DYNASTY, THEN.  
  
Ryo felt safe when Shu said, NO PROBLEM, RYO. YOU JUST CALL AND WE'LL COME RUNNING. IT'S ABOUT TIME, TOO. I HATE SCHOOL! Ryo knew, even as Shu spoke, that all his friends were running out of the schools where they'd enrolled to look for the other warriors. It had been Nasutei's idea to have them all look at different schools with the idea that if they split up, it would take less time to find them. Now that Ryo had at least one, the others would come to him.   
  
When Ryo used the link to communicate with his friends, his mind would instantly feel their personalities. With Shu, it was as if there was a wall surrounding him when Shu entered his mind and would keep him safe.  
  
There was a tingle of electricity in the palms of his hands when Seiji spoke. WHO IS THAT BOY THAT YOU KNOW? DUO? There was a distinctive ring of jealousy in Seiji's voice.   
  
JUST AN OLD FRIEND. WE SORT OF GREW UP AT THE SAME ORPHANAGE, BEFORE I RAN AWAY.   
  
Coolness touched Ryo's face. Touma. DIDN'T NASTY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ONE OF THE GUYS IN HER DREAM HAVING A BRAID?  
  
Ryo took another looked at Duo, doodling in his notebook with his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth. He couldn't imagine Duo being a Trooper, but then, who would imagine any of them as great mystical warriors? It was possible. Heero was the one he had suspected of being one of the others.  
  
YEAH, Ryo replied. BUT I WAS HOPING IT WASAN'T HIM. I DON'T WANT HIM TO HAVE TO GET INVOLVED IN A WAR. DUO'S JUST NOT A FIGHTER. THIS GUY HEERO LOOKS MORE LIKE A FIGHTER. BUT THEY BOTH FEEL FAMILIAR, LIKE THE FIRST TIME I MET ALL OF YOU. MAYBE DUO JUST FEELS FAMILIAR BECAUSE I KNEW HIM BEFORE. But Ryo knew it was a faint hope. Duo just felt too much like one of them.  
  
"Mr. Sanada, are you paying attention?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
WHOOPS, SORRY GUYS. GOTTA GO! "I'm sorry, what?" Ryo stood up quickly, almost knocking his chair over. The class laughed at Ryo who blushed awkwardly.  
  
The teacher sighed. "Mr. Sanada, day dreaming is not a good way to start off your first day! I can see you and Mr. Maxwell have much in common." She did not say it like it was a compliment.  
  
Ryo scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry." He could hear his friends laughing at him. At least he was amusing someone! His brothers laughed harder at his irritation. All right, so they weren't really his brothers, but they were all so close it seemed that they were.  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
Duo stood with Heero outside at lunch and they watched Ryo from a distance. The schoolyard was crowded with uniformed students, but Duo's eyes were glued on one boy in particular. "He's been watching you." Duo said, watching Ryo carefully. "All day, out of the corner of his eye."  
  
Heero said coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought he'd been watching you."  
  
Duo's eyes widened in surprise and a teasing smile lit his face. "Why, koibito, are you jealous?" He grinned at Heero who stubbornly turned his face away. When Heero said nothing, Duo's smile grew. "You are!" Duo clasped his hands together with sheer bliss. "My itoshii (beloved) is jealous of a boy he's never met before! I'm so happy!" He was nearly yelling, so Heero grabbed him by the throat.  
  
"Duo,"  
  
"Yes, honey?" Duo managed to gasp past Heero's clenched hand. He was still smiling, as he knew Heero would never really hurt him.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Never, darling."  
  
Heero suddenly let go and turned his back on Duo in frustration.  
  
"Seriously, Heero, you have nothing to worry about." Duo laughed as he massaged his throat. "Ryo's just an old friend. I haven't even seen him in six years. God, we were kids when I saw him last." Duo's mind went to the last time he'd seen Ryo.   
  
  
  
Duo's flashback-  
  
  
  
"Ryo, what are you doing?" Duo rubbed his eyes when he realized something was wrong in the middle of the night. Little Ryo was fully dressed with a pillowcase full of his meager belongings. Ryo was halfway out the window of the third floor where they lived in the orphanage.   
  
Ryo turned in surprise to find that he'd been caught, but quickly put a finger to his lips and beckoned Duo over to him. "I have to leave." Ryo whispered when Duo got out of bed and came over to the window.  
  
"What are you talking about? Get back to bed or sister's gonna whack your ass with her ruler." Duo said rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up properly.  
  
Ryo shook his head. "Sister isn't going to find out, Duo. I'll be long gone by morning. I have to go now."  
  
"Go where? Ryo, please try to make sense." Duo didn't like mysteries at the best times and right now he just wanted to get back to be. "If you're trying to run away, wait till summer. It's the freezing out there." He looked out the window and the snow was all ready falling in large, lazy flakes.  
  
"No. I have to go now. He's waiting for me." Ryo's eyes got distant and he looked out into the night.  
  
Duo was starting to fear for his friend. "He? He who, Ryo? You can't leave without talking to sister. Is some guy bugging you?" Duo was worldly enough to know all about men who tried to take advantage of innocent little boys and Ryo was the most innocent kid Duo had ever met.  
  
Ryo swallowed hard and looked doubtful. "He said I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I'm not sure why. You'd keep a secret, wouldn't you, Duo-Chan?"  
  
Duo nodded quickly. Maybe if he found out what was going on, he could talk Ryo out of this long enough to get sister to talk sense into Ryo. Ryo opened his moth to speak, but a terrible roar broke the silence, causing Ryo to look at the dark forest that surrounded the orphanage. He bit his lip and looked at Duo. "Sorry, Duo-Chan, but it's to late. I have to go now." Without another word, Ryo jumped out the window.  
  
Duo, terrified that Ryo had fallen the three stories, ran quickly to the window. He was relieved to see Ryo safely on the ground and running into the darkness.  
  
"What am I doing just standing here?" Duo considered just going out the front door, but sister was a light sleeper and would notice someone wandering the halls at night. "I gotta go help him." Duo carefully climbed out after Ryo and went down as fast as he could, but it was not terribly difficult. He was far more experienced than Ryo at sneaking out at night, so he knew all the foot hold.  
  
In just a few seconds, Duo was following where he thought Ryo had gone. As another branch hit Duo in the face he cursed angrily. "I'm gonna kill Ryo as soon as I rescue him!" He muttered. "Idiot sneaking out at night in the middle of winter!" Duo was shivering and his teeth were chattering. He wished he'd thought to bring his coat.  
  
Duo skid to a halt and his mouth dropped open. He'd reached a clearing and there was Ryo and some weird old man with a flat hat and a staff that jingled when he moved it. Ryo stood before the old man, and neither said anything. The old man reached out a hand to Ryo and Duo burst out of the trees.  
  
"Leave him alone!" Duo cried. He pushed a startled Ryo aside and aimed a kick for the old man's crotch. Somehow, he missed. That was weird, Duo never missed. "Get away from him." This was just what Duo had feared, some old pervert just waiting to catch poor, innocent Ryo all alone with no one to protect him!  
  
Someone grabbed Duo's shoulders and he looked over his shoulders at Ryo. "Stop it, Duo! He's my friend." Ryo looked at the old man who still had said nothing. "Please, Kaosu, can Duo come with us? Duo's an orphan, too and he's my friend. Can he come live with us?"  
  
The old man, Kaosu, seemed to think for a moment, but finally shook his head. "No, Ryo. It is for the best if he remains here for a while." Kaosu looked at Duo. "You are brave to try and save Ryo, but he is in no danger, yet. Your destiny is as great as his, but you must wait a little longer before you discover it. I am sure that the two of you will meet again, one day."  
  
Duo, stunned by this strange speech, didn't stop talking. "What do you mean? What's going on? You can't take him, you dirty old man! I'll show you!" Duo tried to stand up and fight again, but suddenly there was something immense blocking his path and large brown eyes looked down at him. Duo froze, starring at the huge tiger.  
  
Kaosu spoke again, this time to the tiger. "Byakuen, take Ryo home. I will speak with the boy." The tiger turned away from Duo and looked at Ryo who smiled at it happily before climbing onto its back.  
  
"Ryo?" Duo asked, feeling quite helpless. He couldn't attack a tiger that big, it would kill him! Ryo wanted to go. He really wanted to leave. "Don't leave, Ryo. I'll protect you."  
  
Ryo smiled over his shoulder. "I have something important to do, Duo. I'll see you again, I promise!" With that, the tiger ran off into the woods vanishing into the darkness and taking Ryo with it.  
  
Duo started to cry, he didn't know what else to do. There was a soft chime as the old man stepped closer. "Duo Maxwell, do not worry for your friend. I will not harm him and Byakuen is very fond of him. He will be well cared for until his destiny is at hand."  
  
"Leave me alone!" Duo jumped up and away from the freak, his face furious. "I'm gonna tell sister that you took Ryo and she's gonna get you!" In Duo's young mind there was nothing more fearsome than sister on the warpath and anyone who had ever dared to threaten her charges were met by her wrath.  
  
"The sister who cares for you will not find us again. Go back, Duo. You will meet Ryo again." The old man turned and followed where Byakuen had gone, not at all upset by Duo's threat.  
  
Duo sat alone in the snow with tears running down his face. After a very short while, he got up and tried to follow, but they had all vanished. Even the tiger left no tracks in the newly fallen snow. Duo managed to get himself lost and sister found him shivering by a side of a highway. She took him home and warmed him up by the fire. After hearing his story, she called the local police who searched thoroughly in the forest. When they found nothing, she searched herself, but had to admit that Ryo was gone. All surrounding towns and cities were told to be on the look out for a little boy or an old man dressed as a monk, but nothing ever turned up.   
  
As far as Duo knew, the old man probably let the tiger eat Ryo.  
  
  
  
End of flashback-  
  
  
  
  
Duo shook his head. "I don't know, Heero. He seems to space out at the weirdest times, like he's not even aware that he's in school. There's something about him. He is my friend, but..." Duo felt almost guilty, talking about his friend behind his back. He'd only just found Ryo again, after all, but it was odd. Of coarse, the way he kept staring at Heero meant that maybe he had a crush on Duo's koi. Old friend or not, that would not be tolerated! "He's my friend, Heero. I'm sure he's not going to cause us any trouble."  
  
Ryo walked away from where most of the students sat outside eating and talking to just at the wall that surrounded the school. He leaned against the wall with his hands in the pockets of his jeans and stared at Heero from across the yard. His gaze was intense, though he seemed to try not to be noticed, as he half way hid his eyes under his hair.  
  
There was something about Ryo, something they couldn't define and it bothered them both. Heero didn't quite agree with Duo's assessment, but Ryo had done nothing wrong and there were no orders to do anything about him, so Heero would leave the boy alone, for now. It was unspoken that they would watch and see what they could learn, if anything.   
  
For almost ten minutes, Ryo stood completely still just staring. Duo was getting impatient for something to happen and rather wishing that Ryo wouldn't stare at Heero, when a head appeared over the wall. It was a blue haired boy and he looked down at Ryo before smiling and saying something.  
  
Both Duo and Heero were instantly alert when Ryo looked up and replied to the boy on the wall with a smile. It was unusual, to say the least. Especially when the blue haired boy climbed onto the wall and helped another boy with brown hair up next to him. Finally, the two of them reached down and pulled a large, muscular boy up. All three looked down at the smiling Ryo.  
  
"Maybe we should get a little closer?" Duo suggested, but Heero was all ready sneaking closer to the four boys, hiding behind trees. Duo rolled his eyes. "Just once, I wish you'd wait for me."  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
I knew they were watching me, but then Touma shouted from over my head and I looked up at him. "Hey, Ryo! We thought you could use a little company."  
  
I can't help but smile up at him. "Come on down." So what if the others thought it was odd? There's no rule I know of that says kids can't sneak into school. "You guys got here fast." They must have put on their armor and run from the other schools.  
  
"Just a minute, I need to help the others." Touma pulled Shin up, while Shu pushed from the other side of the wall, and together, the smaller boys pulled Shu up. Everyone smiled at me and then jumped down. In reality, none of them needed to be helped climbing something as simple as a fence, but they really didn't want anyone to find out about their powers. I was more than pleased to see friendly faces.  
  
"Hey, guys. Where's Seiji?" I asked.  
  
"He's scouting around the school. Says that he wants to be prepared, just in case something happens." Shu said. "You know him, can't let up his guard for a minute. He thought that if we were all coming for a visit, then he would keep an eye out for the enemy."  
  
That was typical of Seiji, he was very much into duty and he was very sensible.  
  
"I think it's pretty obvious that Duo's one of the Others we're supposed to keep an eye on." Touma said. "That braid's fairly original and it was one of the concrete thing that Nasty remembered from her dream."  
  
My face fell. "I was hoping it wasn't him. But I think his friend Heero might be another. Nasty said something about a guy with an icy face, right? You should see Heero. I've never seen anyone so cold. Besides, he feels...different."  
  
Shin asked, "Do you think Arago will try to kill them?" He hated fighting more than any of them, but he was more than willing to help, especially when there were innocent lives at stake.  
  
Shu shook his head. "Naw. Why'd he wait all this time?"  
  
"I agree with Shu." Touma said. "Perhaps he wants to recruit them and bring them to the Nether Realms. It could be possible that he wants the Ma-Sho to train the two of them until one of the armors becomes, shall we say, available."  
  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
What are they talking about? I don't dare ask Heero, as we're so close to these people. Heero's watching them with the same impassive face as usual, but his hands are clenched tightly, making his knuckles turn white. It's something most people wouldn't notice, but I've been with him for a long time. Heero's worried.  
  
I also wonder who Arago is, but he must be working for OZ. Who else would want Heero and I? Dead or recruited, that's what they said. But, why would Ryo be mixed up in all that? He was never one for fighting, so what would ever possess him to join OZ? I think that the old man he'd run away with has something to do with this.  
  
We kept listening and heard, "I still think we should be in there with you, Ryo." This was from the boy dressed in orange. "If the school is attacked, we want to be with you. Every second we waste running to get here might make all the difference."  
  
Ryo slapped his friend on the shoulder. "I appreciate it, Shu, but it's better if we stick to Nasty's plan. I'll stay in the school and you surround it. If Ma-Sho attack, it'll be better to take them by surprise. If they think I'm the only one here, then they won't be so well prepared." He paused a moment. "Maybe we can save Duo and Heero. At all costs we can't let the others get them."  
  
I have to admit, but now I'm starting to get worried. Not only about Heero, but about what Ryo seems to have gotten mixed up in. What did that old monk train him to do? Was it anything like the doctors and how they trained us to be Gundam pilots?   
  
"By the way," Another one asked. "Who are they? Just in case we have to recognize them."  
  
Ryo turned and looked to where we'd been standing a moment ago and frowned. "They're gone." With a sigh he looked at his friends. "Sorry, I'll have to track them down."  
  
They all said good bye to Ryo with a hug for good luck and then helped each other over the wall.  
  
Heero, after the last had left, motioned for me to follow him away from Ryo. We went a distance away from him again, leaving him alone at the wall for just a moment, before he started to search the schoolyard.  
  
"What do you think?" I asked Heero. If it were me, I'd want to get Ryo to talk and spill the beans about what was going on, but I didn't to scare Ryo to badly. Heero usually had more drastic responses, but this time he surprised me.  
  
"We wait and watch."  
  
"Really? That's not like you."  
  
Heero almost smiled. "I want to know what's going on. I want to know who Arago is."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Continued...  
  
  
Please remember to review. I keep writing with more review. 


	3. Chapter 3   Wufei

CHAPTER THREE  
  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
In fencing class, Ryo was looking at the fencing gear as if it were some alien. He gingerly picked up the thin foil and touched the rounded tip. This was weird. Weapons that seemed to have not purpose.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ryo turned to find Duo behind him all ready in his uniform with Heero at his side, as usual. Ryo hadn't failed to notice how close the two were and the fact that Heero was always shadowing Duo, never leaving his side. Both looked very confident in what they were doing, holding the foils easily.  
  
Ryo gestured to the uniform with a helpless gesture. "I'm not really used to all this." That was true. He would be far more comfortable with real swords.  
  
Duo laughed. "No sweat. I'll help you. It was weird the first time I came here, too. I suddenly found myself here with the rich and famous and learning fencing and riding horses."  
  
Ryo laughed with Duo. "I've been meaning to ask you, Duo. How did you end up here? I never expected to see you in a prep school." There seemed to be something different in Duo's attitude, Ryo thought. Ryo knew a forced cheerfulness when he heard one and Duo was definitely different that he was before lunch time.   
  
"I'll tell you, if you tell me how you ended up here." Duo said, giving Ryo a sharp look. "The last time I saw you, you ran off with that weird old guy and his tiger. How'd you get the money to come to a place like this?"   
  
Ryo didn't answer and lost his smile. He turned away from Duo. "A friend sort of helped me out with the money."  
  
Duo scowled, tugging at the straps that held the fencing uniform in place. "Was it the old pervert?" He asked acidly. If that guy was making Ryo DO anything...  
  
"No, it wasn't Kaosu. How about I tell you later?" He offered softly. "I can't tell you right now, but...maybe later."  
  
"Great!" Duo exclaimed, as if it really didn't matter. "Then I'll tell you my secrets as soon as you tell me yours." Duo helped him into the uniform and watched Ryo put on the helmet. "Don't worry about the foil, it's blunted so you won't get hurt." Duo reassured him. "If you're scared and someone's attacking to hard, just yell stop and they'll back off."  
  
Ryo thought, if only it were that easy in real life. In the back of his mind he could hear his friends laughing and Shu shouted over their link. I CAN SEE IT NOW; 'OH, PLEASE STOP, RAJURA! I'M SCARED!'   
  
ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, Seiji commented. WHEN SHOULD WE TALK TO THEM AND HOW DO WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE THE OTHERS THE PROPHECY SPOKE OF? BESIDES, THERE ARE ANOTHER THREE TO FIND.  
  
I'LL BRING THEM HOME AND SH'TEN CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. Ryo said. HE SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING, WITH ALL KAOSU'S POWER.  
  
WHEN?  
  
SOON AS POSSIBLE. Ryo answered. I WON'T TELL THEM ANYTHING UNTIL WE'RE SURE THEY REALLY ARE THE OTHERS. I DON'T WANT DUO GETTING INVOLVED IF HE DOESN'T HAVE TO.  
  
  
  
  
The gym was filled, mainly with boys and there was the quiet one, Heero, who was Duo's friend. He stood perfectly still waiting for class to begin. Ryo barely felt the weight of the foil in his hand and wondered what good it did to learn such a sport.  
  
The matches were drawn randomly and the first match set Ryo up against Heero.  
  
"Now, Heero," the coach said. "Don't hurt the boy, remember, this is his first fencing lesson."  
  
Heero nodded slightly to show he'd heard. He had no interest in hurting the black haired boy. Unless, of coarse, what he'd heard earlier had any importance and then he might have to kill Ryo.   
  
Heero took up the traditional pose while Ryo just stood there with the foil held loosely in his hand.  
  
"Er, Mr. Sanada, try to stand like Heero." The coach suggested.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because that's how it's done."  
  
Ryo shrugged. "If that's what you want." He mimicked Heero's stance. "May I ask, what's the point of fencing?"  
  
"You touch your opponent with the tip of your sword over the heart."  
  
Ryo nodded. "Got it."   
  
In his mind, Ryo saw the others watching him. OH, YEAH, YOU GO! Shu shouted cheerfully.  
  
Seiji was not so impressed. THAT WILL NOT IMPRESS THE MA-SHO.  
  
GIVE HIM A BREAK, SEIJI. Touma told him. DO YOUR BEST, RYO. SHOW THEM HOW TO HANDLE A SWORD!  
  
Encouraged, Ryo decided that he should win this for them. As long as he was here, he might as well do his best. Heero charged and, unlike most others, Ryo started to run backwards, making Heero chase him, before he dodged out of the way, letting Heero run past him and crashing into a wall. Heero shook his head slightly, but otherwise didn't acknowledge that he'd just run into concrete wall.  
  
"Ryo," the coach said. "You can't dodge like that. You have to block his sword thrusts."  
  
Ryo pulled the protective helmet off. "That's silly. He didn't make any thrusts and his foil was aimed straight at me. With such a flimsy weapon, there was no way to block both the sword and Heero. If I had knocked his sword out of the way, his momentum would have just made his body crash into me. So, I ran back until he wouldn't be able to stop himself from running into the wall and then I moved."  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes, as he began to suspect something about Duo's old friend. This boy was a fighter. Stupid of him really, Heero thought. He should have thought of that move when Ryo started to back pedal. Careless and stupid.   
  
"Please," the teacher said. "Just try."  
  
Ryo shrugged and put the helmet back on. "Whatever."  
  
Heero, thinking calmly, took up his position. Ryo was not ordinary, but perhaps he had just had unusual training. He waited until Ryo was in place and then charged again.  
  
Ryo, when Heero got close enough, dropped the useless foil to the floor and, pushing aside the foil with one forearm, grabbed Heero by the collar with one hand while grabbing Heero's foil in the other hand. With the foil out of the way, Ryo tried a new move. It was a move Seiji had taught him and that he'd practiced with Shu. Those who could lift Shu, could lift anyone.   
  
Ryo lifted Heero up, sending Heero flying over his head on onto the floor mat, never letting go of his opponent's throat. In one swift move, Ryo snatched up the foil by the end. He used it like a knife, as if he were going to drive it into Heero's heart, but he stopped short and just tapped over the other boy's chest.   
  
"I win."  
  
Everyone stared at Ryo in shock, not believing what they'd just seen. No one had ever beaten Heero. Ever. Duo, was especially impressed, as he knew Heero's training. Ryo must be more than he seemed and Duo and Heero were thinking the same thing. OZ. Duo really didn't want Ryo to be an enemy, but how else would he be able to do these things?  
  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
Heero stared up at Ryo with impassive eyes as Ryo listened to other voices in his head while he stood up.  
  
YEAH! Rowen shouted happily. YOU WERE GREAT!  
  
Seiji sounded proud. YOU DID VERY WELL.  
  
Shin said nothing, but he radiated happiness through their link.  
  
MAN, THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! Shu laughed. THEY'RE NO MATCH FOR THE DYNASTY, BUT...ARRR!!!!!"  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
"You are quite skilled." Heero told Ryo as Ryo offered him a hand up. Heero refused the helping hand and pushed himself up to stand next to Ryo.  
  
Ryo gave a pleased smile. "Thanks. It would be more interesting if we could use better weapons, though."  
  
"What kind of weapon would you prefer?" Heero asked. He'd never been defeated so easily. Clearly, he'd underestimated his opponent and that was a dangerous mistake. A mistake that could cost him his life if this had been a real fight.   
  
"A real sword might be nice." Ryo had only just said this when he looked up at the ceiling and then frowned. "I'm coming." He whispered. Ryo threw the foil to the ground and began stripping the white uniform off.  
  
"What are you doing?" the coach demanded. "Class only just began."  
  
"Sorry." Ryo muttered, heading for the door. "I have to leave now." With out another word, Ryo ran. They didn't see him again till the next day.  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
Ryo put the ice pack on Shu's head, covering the lump. "I can't believe I ran out of school like that because you fell out of a tree!" Ryo smiled as he said this to show he really wasn't angry. "I thought you were under attack!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ryo." Shu said, ashamed. "It startled me, that's all. I didn't know the tree branch was so weak."  
  
"Well, I guess I'll have to think of a good reason of why I left. They all ready think I'm pretty weird because I look like I'm day dreaming when I'm talking to you guys."   
  
Nasutei brought Shu a glass of water and some pain killers. "What do you think of those boys? Could they be the ones in my dream?"  
  
"Duo probably is and Heero is, too. Hard to mistake the feeling that I get from them." Ryo frowned thinking of the other boy in question. "I still think something wrong with that Heero." Ryo told them. "He's just...blank. I'll invite them by in a day or two and we'll see if you recognize them."  
  
Touma asked, not looking up from his book, "What do we know about them?"  
  
This was Nasutei's specialty. "I looked up all information I could find. Their school records are sporadic, sometimes they're away from school for weeks at a time, but no one seems to question them about it. I think they're tampering with the records, but I can't be sure about that." She picked up a sheet of paper and her tea with her free hand.  
  
"Heero Yuy was the name of a leader of one of the space colonies, but he was assassinated years ago. This one, apparently lives with a classmate, Duo Maxwell. I can't find any information about family, friends, hobbies, or his past. He is on the Internet quite a bit though, that was easy enough to find out. He's in constant contact with someone who calls himself or herself "J". He's up to something, but the information is unusual. He'll write only 'mission accepted' or 'mission completed'. I don't know what these mission are or who he's working for. Not that it's any of our business.  
  
As for Duo Maxwell, we have better documentation on him, mainly because Ryo knew him. Grew up in an orphanage, ect, but apparently one year after you ran away, Ryo, Duo ran away, too. Except for the fact that he seems to have run right off the planet. He turns up again on Colony L2, but disappears slightly after. The next record I find of him is at this school." Nasutei put down her papers to see the reaction from everyone.  
  
They all looked very serious. "We still have to find the other four." Nasutei reminded them.  
  
"I may have found one of them." Everyone turned at Sh'ten's voice. He stood in the doorway, his hat pushed far enough back to show his eyes and he looked pleased. Sh'ten let his mind open to the others so they could see what he'd seen earlier.  
  
  
Sh'ten's flashback-  
  
  
I was alone in the forest, or at least I thought I was. It was beautiful here and I smiled. It was rare to find such beauty, but I can enjoy it a little. While the Troopers were at the school, looking for the Others, I thought that perhaps I should also look. The staff is my only real connection with Kaosu, but I hope it is enough. It had led me here to this forest. Was this where one of our replacements was to be found? It was a bizarre feeling to be planning for one's death in such a manner as searching for the ones who would carry on afterwards.   
  
He was sitting cross-legged on a stone near a peaceful river, the boy dressed in a white Chinese robe and had his shoulder length black hair loose around his shoulders. I walked up behind him and just watched him for a moment. I had begun to think that he was just asleep, when the boy suddenly tensed, jumped up and flipped over my head, landing behind me with a long knife in one hand. His face was tight as his asked,  
  
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"  
  
My Chinese is rusty, but good enough to understand him. "I am looking for you." I told him. The feeling from his is enough to tell me that he is truly one of the others. Still, there is no Kanji on his forehead, so I don't know which one he is, yet.  
  
"You don't know me, how can you be looking for me?" He demanded, moving closer with the threatening weapon. I considered attacking for a brief moment, but changed my mind. The warrior's instincts are still strong within me, but I do my best to curb them.  
  
"I know your destiny." The staff began glowing in my hand and it told me his name. "Chang Wufei. Your name is Chang Wufei."  
  
The fact that I knew this seemed to put him more on edge and I have to wonder what his past has been like to inflict such distrust. "Why are you here?" He asked again.  
  
"I told you that all ready. I am looking for you. Will you put down your weapon and listen for a moment?"  
  
"No." But he did lower the knife slightly. "Speak, if you have something to say."  
  
"Very well. I am Sh'ten, and I am a warrior who is battling a very evil force called Arago. You will understand better if you come with me and meet the others that I fight with."  
  
Wufei shook his head. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea on my part. What does your battle have to do with me?"  
  
"You are destined to become one of us."  
  
Wufei regarded me for a moment with cool eyes and then let himself smile slightly. "I see. Leave now." It was quite obvious that he thought I was mad.  
  
"Please, just listen..."  
  
"Leave!" Wufei threw the knife at my feet and I think he was surprised when I didn't flinch or move away. "You can not stay here, monk!"  
  
I shrugged. "You can not fight destiny, Wufei. One way or the other, you will get involved. Whether it is fighting to save the Earth or to destroy it, is ultimately your decision."  
  
I left him with that to think over and went home. I know that I will see him again and very soon. He can't fight it any more that the rest of us could.  
  
  
  
End Flashback-  
  
  
  
"That's great." Nasutei smiled at him and sat at her computer to feed this little bit of data into her files. "Where was this?" She asked Sh'ten as she typed.  
  
"In China."  
  
Everyone stared at him. "What were you doing in China?" Touma asked. He was sitting near Shu and trying to snatch one of the cookies Shin had made for Shu, but having very little success.   
  
"Taking a walk." Sh'ten repeated himself. "It's beautiful this time of year."  
  
Shin spoke up. "I think he means to say, why were you all the way in China? Why didn't you just go for a walk in the forest around here?"  
  
Sh'ten, for a just a moment, looked confused. "I...I'm not sure, but I think the staff led me there. I was planning to read this morning, but I suddenly got the urge to go for a walk. I knew that I had to go to China." He gave a little laugh. "Maybe Kaosu's spirit is still here, guiding me."  
  
Ryo nodded. "I'll ask Duo and Heero to come by tomorrow, too. We can get this over with in one go." Ryo was really dreading telling his friends about this as he knew they likely wouldn't believe him at first. Then, well...he wasn't sure how they'd react.  
  
"But what about the other three?" Shu asked. "Should we wait for them?"  
  
Touma shook his head. "No. We need to do this as fast as possible. We can find the other three later, but now we have to convince these three."  
  
Nasutei groaned, catching everyone's attention. "I have guests coming tomorrow. An old friend of the family and a friend of his. His name is Quarte Winner and his father was a friend of my grandfather's, so when he called and said he was in town, I invited him and his friend to stop by."  
  
Ryo shrugged. "No big deal, we'll just change the meeting date. We don't want innocent bystanders getting involved, anyway." He gave Nasutei a smile. "We'll even make ourselves scarce so you can have a quiet evening with your friends without us fighting at the table."  
  
That remark was met by argument from everyone who shouted that they never fought and how dare Ryo suggest such a thing.   
  
  
  
  
Continued... 


	4. Chapter 4   Lost in Transit

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
  
It happened later when Heero was tapping on his little computer in our dorm room. "Duo."  
  
It was odd, to say the least, for him to call my attention like that, but I looked away from my manga to find he had stopped typing and was staring at the screen.  
  
"What's up? What are you doing?" I stood up and walked over to look over my love's shoulder.   
  
"Hacking into the school files."  
  
"What? Again?" I looked closer at the information displayed there. "Damn!" I swore and Heero didn't have to say anything else. It was on the screen right in front of us.  
  
  
Sanada Ryo  
Age- 16  
Transfer student from Tokyo  
Academic records: LOST IN TRANSIT  
Family: LOST IN TRANSIT  
Grades: LOST IN TRANIST  
Current Address: LOST IN TRANSIT  
  
  
"Please, tell me it's just a typo." I said. This can't be happening! Ryo's my friend, he can't be working for an enemy. Unfortunately, this is all a little to suspicious.  
  
Heero slowly shook his head. "We know nothing about him. Someone hacked in here and put all this information here to cover his tracks."  
  
"Maybe it's right and it was just lost in transit." I suggested hopefully. This was just to mysterious for me. "Look, why don't we just ask him?"  
  
Heero turned his cold eyes on me and gave me a look that plainly said he never made mistakes when it came to his computers. "Would you answer honestly if someone asked you your history?"  
  
I hung my head. "I guess not. Perhaps we should find out where he lives." I suggest. Following him wouldn't be a problem, we've done harder things in our sleep. Heero nodded his agreement.  
  
  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
We called Wufei in from China to go with us when we went to investigate Ryo. We would have called in Quarte and Trowa, but apparently they were out for the evening. Probably out on a hot date and when they did that, they tended to leave their phones and pagers at home.   
  
This might be big and they really should know what's going on just in case they have to get involved later, but right now, it's not that important. Right now, it was just a simple mystery. We took a taxi to the large house that was listed as Ryo's home. I couldn't believe it. Ryo must be loaded, he lived in a freakin' mansion! It was out in the middle of no where and surrounded by vast forests with a lake in the back.  
  
A stranger greeted us at the door and it occurred to me that of coarse Ryo had roommates or family. After a moment, though, I realized this wasn't exactly a stranger, this was one of those boys who'd met Ryo at school the other day.  
Ryo was still a kid, after all, this whole house couldn't be his. "Hello." The brown haired young man said.   
  
I stepped forward as I knew neither Heero nor Wufei were so personable. "Hi! We're looking for Sanada Ryo."  
  
"Oh, yes? May I have your names? Ryo didn't say he was expecting anyone." He looked at the stone-faced Heero and me.   
  
"Duo Maxwell and friends." I told the other and tried to look as if I'd never seen him before. Unfortunately, his face was like an open book. At my name, his eyes lit up for a moment.   
  
"Forgive my manners and please come in. My name's Shin, just have a seat in the living room and make yourselves comfortable. I'll let Ryo know you're here. It might be a minute, Ryo's in the middle of something."  
  
Shin led us into the large living room with a huge television and another person reading. Again, this was one of the people Heero and I had seen climb over the wall of school, the blue haired one. He was sitting in a chair with his legs laying over one arm and his head comfortably lolled back. He had a blissful expression on as he read a small book.  
  
"Hi." I said brightly.  
  
The blue haired guy didn't even look up so I shrugged and went to a window that looked out at the back yard. There was something going on out there.  
  
Wufei frowned, not that he was often happy. He really didn't like rudeness. "He said, hello."  
  
The blue haired boy flipped a page in his book, but still didn't look up.  
  
I saw in the backyard that Ryo was out there fighting with someone. They were fighting bare fisted and it seemed to be using a kind of martial arts. Ryo was very good, but the blonde he was fighting had much more skill, where Ryo looked as if he kept losing his temper and striking with great force, but little direction. Still, I wouldn't want to fight Ryo in a one on one fair fight. There was no way I could defend myself, let alone defeat him. That other guy, the blonde one, would surely kill me in a fair fight. It was times like these that I was glad I never fought fair.  
  
I had no idea that Ryo was THAT good. Ryo made an almost impossible leap over his opponent and landed gracefully, even while aiming another blow for the blonde's head. He missed and the blonde knocked him down easily.   
  
It took a moment for the fighting to stop and both bowed to each other. Ryo turned and started walking toward the house while the blonde stayed outside and simply sat on the grass as if he were waiting for something.  
  
Ryo walked in soaking wet with sweat and wearing nothing but red shorts. "Hey." He said with a smile at Heero and I. Ryo then gave a puzzled look at Wufei he didn't know. "Who's your friend?"  
  
Duo slapped his forehead as if he'd simply forgotten to mention it. "This is Chiang." He gave one of Wufei's aliases, as there was no need for anyone to know his real name. Wufei nodded politely. "He just came along for the ride."  
  
"Nice to meet you." Ryo looked down at the blue haired boy. "Touma?" He shook his friend's shoulder. "Touma? Wake up!" He shook hard enough that the book almost fell from the boy's hands.  
  
Touma slowly blinked and then turned to Ryo. "Oh, hi, Ryo." Then he noticed us. "Hello, when did you get here?"  
  
"About ten minutes ago." Wufei said, still sounding miffed about being ignored. "We tried to say hello."  
  
"Oh," Touma blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry about that."  
  
Ryo tapped his friend on the top of his head. "Seiji says it's your turn."  
  
Touma groaned and slumped down in his chair. "Oh, no."  
  
Ryo grinned at some obscure joke. "I had to go first, so you go next! Don't worry, you can get back at him tomorrow. You can make him read poetry or something."  
  
Touma scowled. "Don't be silly, Ryo. You know he'd enjoy that to much!" Touma sounded defeated, but said, "I'll just put shaving cream in his bed tonight and fill his shoes with ice cream in the morning." He turned to us. "We do have guests, do you think he'd let me out of practice to let me entertain them?" Touma asked Ryo hopefully.  
  
"Do you think he'd believe you were entertaining?" Ryo asked. Touma hung his head like a condemned man. Reluctantly, he stood up, laying his book down on the coffee table. Ryo quickly sat in the abandoned chair and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm.  
  
"Glad you guys came to visit, but why did you come?"  
  
Duo smiled dazzlingly at him. "It's my fault, really. You seemed to really understand all that history stuff real well in class, so I wanted to know if you'd help me with my homework."  
  
  
  
Sh'ten-  
  
  
  
I was sitting in the kitchen when our unexpected guests appeared and I watched them through Shin's eyes. THAT IS CHANG WUFEI. I told him.   
  
Shin quickly looked at Wufei. THEN WHY IS HE CALLING HIMSELF CHIANG?  
  
I HAVE NO IDEA. JUST DO AS THEY WANT, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE.  
  
Shu's voice broke into the conversation. DO YOU THINK THEY'RE UP TO SOMETHING?  
  
Seiji, while still sparing with Ryo outside, answered, IT WOULD BE A LITTLE ODD FOR THIS BOY FROM CHINA TO BE OVER JUST VISITING WITH THE TWO OTHERS, NOW WOULDN'T IT. SHOULD WE TELL THEM NOW, WHILE THEY'RE ALL HERE? Seiji asked Ryo.  
  
Ryo thought about this and then mentally shook his head. LET'S SEE WHAT THEY'RE UP TO, FIRST. WE DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN TRUST THEM, YET. WHAT IF ARAGO'S GOTTEN TO THEM FIRST? I'LL BE RIGHT IN, SHIN. LEAVE THEM IN THE LIVING ROOM. I WONDER HOW THAT GUY GOT HERE FROM CHINA SO QUICKLY.  
  
When Shin came back in the kitchen, leaving our guests with Touma who wasn't nearly as oblivious as he looked (he was just rude) to watch over them. Touma made it possible for all of us to see and hear them without being seen. TELL ME SOMETHING, Touma asked while he pretended to read and they waited for Ryo to finish. IF THEY'RE JUST LIKE US, THEN HOW COME WE CAN'T HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS? WE'VE BEEN IN EACH OTHER'S MINDS FOR YEARS.  
  
I had to mentally shrug. I REALLY DON'T KNOW. PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T ACTUALLY WORN THE ARMOR, YET.  
  
"Are you going to spy on them while they're here?" Shin asked me while he started to sweep the kitchen. "Lift your feet."   
  
"Yes. It shouldn't be that hard." I took another sip of my tea and did as our little mother hen told me. It was safer to do as Shin told you than to risk his anger.   
  
This was all working out nicely. If the other three would only appear, then this situation might be worked out before my former master could even be aware of what was going on.  
  
  
Wufei-  
  
  
With Ryo and Duo disappeared upstairs, we were alone in the living room and everyone stood. "Just look around." Heero instructed. "Quick surveillance, then meet here in ten minutes."  
  
They all nodded and took off in different directions. It was Wufei who ended up in a huge library. He was definitely impressed. The high walls were literally lined with books and, at the center of the room, was one small computer. Its screen was on, giving the room a greenish glow.  
  
He cautiously made his way into the room until he stood in front of the computer.  
  
  
DYNASTY ATTACK   
LOG 3  
ATTACKER: NAAZA   
  
6'7" TALL  
310 LBS. APPROX  
ARMOR OF DARKNESS DOKU MA SHO  
  
WON WITH HELP OF SEIJI  
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS  
  
MUST BE CAREFUL OF THE VEMON ARMOR, RYO WAS BLINDED IN THE FIGHT, BUT SEIJI HEALED HIM. HIS WEAPONS ARE POISONED AS IS THE ARMOR ITSELF.   
  
  
Now what does all that mean? Poisoned armor? Wufei thought carefully and seemed to remember something in his own library that spoke of armor with special power. If only he could remember what exactly it had said. He thought it had said something about ancient evil and legends of magic.   
  
Wufei began to look through the various disks and papers that littered the computer desk. Each disk was marked with a word. MA-SHO, LEGEND, YOROIDEN, and OTHERS, were only some of them and the papers were just as odd. There was one in particular that caught his eyes. It was a poem, something that he didn't understand, but it seemed important to him, somehow. At the bottom of the same paper was a rough sketch of five shadowy figures. Vague details were of hair and clothes and one with dark, cold eyes. That braid! How many boys had hair like that and why would these people have a drawing of Maxwell?  
  
"Oh!"   
  
Wufei turned quickly at the surprised voice to find a pretty young woman with an armful of books. She wore large glasses and had a pen tucked behind one ear. He suddenly noticed that he'd drawn one of his large knives. Damn! He felt very silly as the young woman stared at him, blinking in confusion.  
  
"Can I help you?" She asked slowly setting her books down near the computer and taking her glasses off.  
  
"I was...er..." Wufei had always found it difficult to lie as it offended his honor. "I just wandered in." Well, that was sort of the truth.  
  
"Oh." She obviously didn't believe the lie, but she was staring at him oddly. "Have we met before?"   
  
Wufei looked closer at the tall girl. "No, I don't think so."  
  
"You seem very familiar, I'm sure I've seen you before." Just then the girl saw what was on the computer monitor, and she quickly turned it off and Wufei knew he'd seem something he shouldn't have, even if he didn't understand it. "Did you understand any of what you read?" She asked and her tone puzzled Wufei.  
  
"No. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to look at your files, they just caught my attention."  
  
"It's no big deal. I'm writing a fantasy book and those are notes for it. Well, the living room is back that way." The girl pointed out of the library. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do." She'd changed her tone to lighthearted instantly, making it seem as if nothing was wrong.  
  
Without another word, Wufei left to find the others leaving the girl behind.  
  
It turned out that many of the doors in the house were locked and there wasn't enough time to pick the locks and find out what was in them. Besides, they'd all encountered people around each corner there was someone just casually standing around. There seemed to be five guys and the young woman living in the house.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, in Ryo's room-  
  
  
  
As Ryo was explaining the history assignment, Duo knew his friends were all searching the house for interesting information. Normally, he would be pleased to join them, but right now, he was more interested in Ryo. "You never did tell me what happened after you ran off with that old guy." He commented out of the blue.  
  
Ryo was taken by surprise at the question, but tried to brush it aside. "He took care of me, Duo. Just like he said he would. Really, it's nothing to worry about."  
  
Duo leaned back on Ryo's bed. "Then why didn't he adopt you properly? Why didn't he see sister and go through all the paper work instead of kidnapping you?"  
  
"He didn't kidnap me, Duo!" Ryo insisted. Ryo bit his lip and wondered how much he should tell Duo. They would tell Duo everything in a few days, if Sh'ten confirmed that Duo was one of the replacement warriors, but right now they didn't know. "I had something to do. He taught me how to fight and was very good to me. He didn't do anything 'weird', so you don't have to worry about that. Kaosu was very good to me, like a father."  
  
"I was really worried about you." Duo said with uncharacteristic seriousness. Sister spent weeks trying to cheer me up when I knew she was as depressed as I was. We all thought you were dead."  
  
Ryo couldn't think of anything else to say, except, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Where is he now?" Duo asked. He really wanted to kill the old man, even if Ryo did say everything was all right.  
  
Ryo was suddenly sad. "He's dead."  
  
"Oh."  
  
  
  
  
  
The three guests left soon after and Wufei told them about his little discoveries in the library, though none of them knew what to make of it.   
  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
  
Nasutei also told about her encounter. "I'm sure that Chinese boy was one of the boys in my dream!" She declared. "He was snooping around my desk and he was staring at the poem and the picture I made of my dream for quite some time. I just know it's him."  
  
"You are right, Nasutei-sama." Sh'ten told her. "He is the boy I met in China. I believe it is destiny bringing us all together. Still, they did search the house rather thoroughly."  
  
Touma thought quietly. "I wonder if they're working for OZ."  
  
Ryo looked at him, puzzled. "OZ? You mean that company that's trying to take over everything? What would make you think that?"  
  
Touma shook his head. "I'm not sure, but there's something not quite right about them and I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's just that they were going through the house like bandits, but I think they do this sort of thing for a living. They were very good at it."  
  
Ryo slammed his fist down on the wall. "Duo is not a thief!" He exclaimed loudly.  
  
"Take it easy! I didn't say that he was, exactly, but you have to admit something is odd here. Why else would they be searching our house? Well, at least we're all getting the same feelings from them. We know they are three of the six we're looking for."  
  
Shu clapped his hands happily. "Three down and three to go! This is just like a scavenger hunt." He obviously was having fun with this. "It's almost to easy, isn't it? I mean the first two, Ryo found on his first day in that school and the third came right to us after Sh'ten found him while walking. The others will probably just drop into our lap."  
  
Touma scowled at his friend. "Now, how often do our lives get that easy? It'll never happen."  
  
Shin laughed. "I think Shu has the right idea. You're a pessimist, Touma. Try to think positively. Those three who came today were definitely like us. We can invite them all over for tea and explain what's going on."  
  
  
  
It was the next day that Nasutei's guests were supposed to come by. But as they were all in the kitchen talking about the new warriors, the phone rang.   
  
"Hello, Nasutei, this is Quarte. I'm sorry, but Trowa and I can't come by tomorrow, there's something that just came up. But we can come by another night as soon as this is finished."  
  
Nasutei smiled. "No problem. Just call when you can..." She was cut off when Quarte yelled,  
  
"Duo! Cut it out, I'm on the phone! Jeeze, where does he get all that cheese whiz, anyway?" He was mumbling to himself, but Nasutei latched onto the name.   
  
"Duo?" When she said that, everyone in the kitchen turned to look at her sharply.  
  
Quarte seemed surprised that she knew it. "Yes, do you know him?"  
  
"Well, maybe. I do know a Duo, but maybe it wasn't the same person."  
  
"Oh, well, I'll see you in a few nights."  
  
They hung up and Nasutei looked worriedly at her friends. "Quarte knows them." She said. "He was talking to a guy named Duo and I can't think that's a very popular name, especially in one city."  
  
Ryo frowned. "This is all just a little bit to coincidental, don't you think? I'm willing to bet that Quarte and this friend of his are two of the other warriors we're looking for."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Continued... 


	5. Chapter 5   Mysterious Power

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
  
  
  
  
"There's reports of a strong energy reading in area 684kv769." Dr. J informed Heero over their secured link. "It's even stronger than the energy output from a Gundam. I want you to check it out and if there's a new Gundam, bring it back so we can study it." Dr. J had called just after they got back to the dorm room at the school after searching Ryo's house. They'd found nothing of interest, unfortunately.  
  
"Mission accepted." Heero turned off the link and contacted his friends. They might like to come with him. A half an hour later, in the other room, Quarte was talking to someone on the phone and Duo had just squirted him with Cheese Whiz (that's what we get for letting Duo go out alone, he stopped for candy. Sugar is not good for Duo.)   
  
"I just called my friend and told her we can't make it tonight." Quarte told Trowa. "We'll go tomorrow after we find out about that energy reading."  
  
It was quite the coincidence, Heero thought, though Duo swore vilely that God was somehow making a cosmic joke with his life, when they located exactly where the place was that they were supposed to be going. The energy output signals were coming from Sanada Ryo's home, the large mansion they'd just visited.  
  
  
  
  
They landed in the back yard of the house with a young man sunning himself on the lawn. He had blonde hair and green shorts on and Heero remembered from our last visit that this was Seiji, the one Ryo had been training with. The boy didn't seem to notice that five large Gundam's landed only a few hundred feet from him and just turned a page in his book. He must have been blind and deaf not to hear a Gundam land.  
  
All five got out of their Gundams and looked at him, waiting to see if he would notice them, but he just turned a page in his book. "Let's go say hello." Duo said in his usual friendly manner.  
  
Heero wondered if he should just kill the man now and get it over with.   
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
I knew the large robots had landed in the back yard, but I didn't look up. I also knew that five of the six people we were looking for were standing right in front of me. Shakespeare was far more important than whatever these people wanted. Ah, Juliet.  
  
Someone touched my arm. I'll let it go. They're strangers and don't know that it isn't safe to interrupt my reading. Ryo will come out and deal with them in a minute, I expect. Now, Juliet, where was I? Oh, yes, the balcony scene. My favorite!  
  
The stranger shook my arm harder and I surpressed a growl. Nasty would not be happy if these happened to be friends of hers and I killed them in her back yard. I took a moment to find my place and just as Romeo was going to kiss Juliet, the words vanished and I was left staring at my hands.  
  
Someone is going to pay!  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
This guy is weird. He won't even look at us, even though Wufei was shaking him as hard as he could. "What's with him?" Wufei demanded, after the second shake and the blonde still didn't look up at us. "Is he completely stupid?" With a burst of temper, Wufei grabbed the book from the man and threw it on the grass.  
  
The man stared at his empty hands for a moment and then down at where his book lay on the grass. He then turned cold eyes up at Wufei. The man stood in a fluid motion and started to walk slowly toward Wufei. Wufei didn't back down from this cold guy, but I think he should have. There is something dangerous about him.  
He feels familiar.  
  
Suddenly we heard a woman's voice and looked away from the blonde to see a young woman with long dark brown hair running out of the house toward us. I didn't see her the last time we were at this house, but Wufei had mentioned seeing a girl and her strange writings. "Seiji! Seiji!" She cried out urgently. When she reached him, the girl stood between him and Wuffie with a hand on her friend's arm, speaking to him in soft, soothing tones.  
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
I'm going to kill the little bastard! I thought as I looked at the insolent boy who dared to interrupt me. Yes, I can feel quite clearly that they are the replacement warriors, but they threw my book on the ground! They all deserve a sever beating at best.  
  
"Seiji! Seiji!" It was Nasty and she was running toward me. Oh, well. I suppose the others would get upset if I killed in front of her. She put a hand on my arm. "Seiji, please don't kill them!" How well she knows me! "I'll talk to them, I promise. You go back to your reading, everything's fine." I can tell she's worried that I'll get too violent and she's probably right. I'm told that I'm a little highly strung. Well, for her sake, I won't kill the boy. Yet.  
  
I picked up my book and sat back down in my lawn chair, letting the sun warm me.   
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
The girl had managed to calm down her friend, but Wufei didn't seem to like having his fight stopped by a girl. The Chinese pilot scowled at the young woman and crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
Strangely, she wasn't staring at our Gundams, but at us. "Hello," She looked at Wufei. "Don't I remember you from yesterday?"  
  
Wufei nodded curtly, but said nothing.  
  
"We are looking for a power source and we have traced it to your home. Do you know where this power comes from?" I asked her.  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
Nasutei thought for a moment, not sure what she should say. She recognized these robots as the Gundams, but she wasn't sure if she should tell them anything. She bit her lip, considering them. If only Sh'ten were here, but he'd gone out looking for the other warrior earlier, the young girl. Still, the Troopers had confirmed that at least Heero, Duo, and Wufei were the warriors we were looking for.  
  
"Guys, I need some help!" Nasty looked toward her house and yelled. She turned back to the others and noticed a younger blonde standing behind a boy with a long brown hair covering part of his face. Nasty frowned. "Quarte? Is that you?"  
  
He gave her a sheepish grin. "Hello, Nasutei-San. Sorry about this."  
  
"Is this why you couldn't come for dinner tonight?"  
  
"Well, yes, but I didn't think we'd be coming here." He sounded embarrassed, so Nasutei waved his concern off with a smile.  
  
"Don't worry about it. You'd be surprised how many weird things happen around here."  
  
  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
I walked into the kitchen where Shin was serving breakfast when we heard Nasty shout. I looked out the window and saw the large robots. "So, those are Gundams?"   
  
Shin nodded, rinsing out the frying pan. "Yep, they landed a few minutes ago. Looks like our new friends are Gundam pilots."  
  
Ryo was impressed, he hadn't guessed that Duo was one of the pilots he kept hearing about on the news. "Would you look at the size of those things." He commented, looking up at the huge robots.  
  
Everyone, apparently had noticed when the suits had landed, they were just to busy eating to bother doing anything about it. Shin was in the middle of cooking, Touma was practically sleeping at the table, Shu was eating, and Seiji was outside reading.   
  
As the robots obviously weren't from Arago they didn't feel the need to investigate. The general consensus was that they would go out when they were done eating, or if the boys knocked on the door. These were normal, mortal made robots that happened to be a little bigger than usual. Seiji could take care of this problem on his own, but Ryo started to head out at Nasty's call. Perhaps this was the time to talk to them about everything. It would be better, though, if Sh'ten were here to confirm everything.   
  
"Nasty went out to see what was going on." Shin told him as he took off his apron and hung it neatly on a hook. "They're don't seem all that powerful, compared to Dynasty, but we might want to go take a look. If they're the replacements, then it could be handy to have those big Gundam things on our side."  
  
"Nope." Touma muttered, half opening his eyes. "Machines won't work in the Nether Realms. Useless." Then he went back to snoring.  
  
"Nasty said she needed help. Come on, guys."  
  
"Oh, you bet she needs help!" Shu giggled into his toast. "You should have seen it, Ryo. The little idiot, Wufei, actually ripped Seiji's book out of his hands and threw it on the ground!"  
  
Ryo gasped. "Really?" Ryo looked back out the window and saw the guy in question still standing. "Why hasn't Seiji killed him yet?"  
  
"Nasty got out in time to stop him." Shu looked at his still full plate with disappointment. "It's a pity to interrupt a good meal."  
  
"Not really." Ryo told him, snagging a glass of orange juice from Shin. "But if you want to miss meeting the idiot who was brave enough to take Seiji's book, that's your business."  
  
Shu took the bait and jumped up. "Let's go then."  
  
They all walked out after waking Touma a little and Ryo tried to smile at Duo, as if there was nothing wrong. They stood quietly next to Seiji and waited for him to finish his verse.   
  
"What are they waiting for?" Ryo heard Duo ask a blonde boy Ryo had never seen before. Finally, Seiji carefully marked his page and set his book down on the arm of his chair before standing and he looked blackly at the visitors.  
  
DON'T YOU LIKE THEM? Ryo asked Seiji asked, amused. Seiji didn't often show his emotions like this, so he must really hate them right now for him to radiating anger. His face was as cold and unemotional as Heero, but his eyes burned with a bright flame.  
  
THEY THREW SHAKESPEAR ON THE GROUND. He honestly sounded outraged. Seiji loved his books. BUT THEY ARE THE ONES WE WERE LOOKING FOR. THE OTHER TWO WOULD SEEM TO BE THE FRIENDS NASTY WAS EXPECTING THE OTHER DAY.  
  
Shin, one of the more levelheaded of the Troopers, looked at the visitors. "We were waiting politely for our friend to finish his book, before talking to you. Something you should have done, also." SHOULD WE INVITE THEM IN RIGHT AWAY?  
  
The small Chinese guy, who'd made the mistake of angering Seiji, though he might not know it, sniffed. "I fear no one and a fight with that scrawny weed wouldn't even break a sweat for me."  
  
Who's he to be calling someone a scrawny weed? Ryo thought as he looked at the stranger's thin frame. In their joined minds, all the Troopers snickered at the remark, but Seiji raised an eyebrow at the insult. LOOK WHO'S TALKING! Seiji muttered.  
  
Seiji's eyes narrowed again. He was doing very well today and not hurting this boy, so Ryo was very proud of Seiji. Most likely it was for Nasty's sake as Seiji knew she was very sensitive.   
  
Unfortunately, the boy continued. "Besides, I need no weak, stupid woman interfering where she is not wanted."  
  
That was a mistake.   
  
Shu charged the boy and grabbed him by the throat. "You dare insult Nasutei? You rabbit dropping!" Shu shook him perhaps harder than necessary and I said through our link,  
  
SHU, STOP IT!  
  
HE INSULTED NASTY!  
  
I KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW SHE WON'T WANT YOU TO KILL HIM FOR HER. RELAX, LOOK AROUND YOU.  
  
I tensed when I saw the other Gundam pilots grab Shu and try to pry him loose of their friend and it was all I could do not to interfer. This might turn into a full-fledged brawl and we don't want to hurt them. Frankly, I almost did the same thing Shu had. I mean, give me a break! So Nasty isn't a fighter, she's the only reason we're fighting Arago and not yet dead. She's the one who's been feeding us and taking care of us.  
  
Shin put his hands on Shu's shoulders and started talking softly to him, whispering in his ear. Slowly, Shu was calming down and, at Shin's urging, finally made let the Gundam Pilot down.  
  
The Gundam pilots were having no luck in getting Shu off their friend, and it wasn't surprising as Shu was just about the strongest person alive. Shu let the littler boy go, with a final snarl, "Nasty is stronger than all of you together, you little shit!"  
  
The Chinese boy's friends helped him to stand, all but Heero who regarded us coolly. No emotion at all. My brothers all glared at the worm with black expressions. Right now none of us are thinking that we need to protect them.  
  
If only Nasty weren't here. If only...  
  
"Why are you here, Duo?" Ryo wondered quietly, watching. "Are you attacking us?"  
  
Duo looked guiltily at the ground. "No, nothing like that. It's just...well..."  
  
Trowa stepped forward. "Perhaps we should talk."  
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
  
Quarte, while helping Wufei stand after the attack. "This isn't going right. We need to talk to them, not fight. Wufei, you need to stop insulting them."  
  
Wufei just shrugged. "I'll say what I please."  
  
"We are here because certain power has been traced here, to this house. Can you explain this?" I told them.  
  
The large one who'd attacked Wufei looked confused. "Power? What kind of power?"  
  
"Energy that is so powerful whenever one of the computers starts to read it, the computer dies." I answered bleakly. If these people had a Gundam that strong, then we had to get it, or kill these people and take their Gundam. It really didn't matter which way it was done, so long as the job got done.   
  
The boy spoke to Nasutei, "What are they talking about?" He was still looking at them oddly.   
  
Nasutei thought for a moment. "I suppose they must mean the yoroi or perhaps the Nether Realms." She said thoughtfully. "They're the only powers worth mentioning and the energy from the Nether Realm does seem to mess up technology. I wonder if Arago is planning something." I could read fear in her voice.  
  
"Then we need to see this armor and this Nether Realms, whatever that is." I told them.  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
We all agreed on a response.   
  
Touma, taking the role as spokesman, said to the Gundam pilots, "No."  
  
"No?"  
  
"No. We will never take a mortal to the Nether Realms. You do not want to see it." Touma said definitely. "However, the yoroi, you will perhaps see. Do come in and eat with us." He turned and headed into the house.  
  
I said, "Let's go in. It's breakfast time and I'm dying for some of your pancakes, Shin." Inside, we'll maybe be able to get them at easy and I hope that Duo, at least, will be willing to listen.  
  
"Do we have any strawberries?" Shu asked as they walked away. "I could kill for strawberries!"  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
Everyone turned away, ignoring us and Wufei took exception to this, as did Duo. Did they expect us to just walk into a possible enemies house for breakfast? How can they just turn away as if we're no threat? Finally, the only one left outside was Nasutei who regarded us with a sweet smile even with what Wufei had said about her.  
  
"You'll have to excuse my friends." She told us. "We have a lot going on in our lives and from what little of the OZ and Gundam suits I've heard about on TV, you're in the wrong place. We have other problems here and OZ has never been here."  
  
"We're looking for Gundam suits." Quarte said. "The more we can find the better we can fight OZ. Can't you help us, Nasutei?" It seemed strange to him that she would be so uncaring about the wars that were going on in the world. What could be going on around here that was more important than the wars with OZ?  
  
Nasutei shook her head. "My family has lived in the house for many generations and I've never heard of any of these Robots being hidden around here."  
  
"Then what are these yoroi your friends were talking about?" Duo asked. The woman got suddenly quiet and looked at her house where we could all see her friends eating around a table and laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world.  
  
"That's hard to explain." She looked at us again, as if she really did want to explain. "It really would be better if you come inside and we wait for our other friend to get back. Sh'ten can explain it best, I think."  
  
I had no choice, apparently. Orders were orders. Nasutei seemed to know what was going on, so she would have to be interrogated. I pulled a gun and grabbed her throat, pulling her in close to my chest. "Give me the information, or I will kill you." I told her calmly. She was afraid, very afraid as I put the gun to her temple.  
  
"You don't understand!" She protested. "You have to learn about what's going on!"  
  
"Give me the information."  
  
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!"  
  
  
  
  
Continued... 


	6. Chapter 6  Enter the Ma-Sho

CHAPTER SIX  
  
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
"Snake Fang Strike!"  
  
There was a crackle and a terrible force blew us all off our feet with the ground exploding around us. The attack landed us all off our feet, though weapons were immediately drawn, and Nasutei several yards away from me. Out of the forest walked a new person. I changed my mind. This was not a person, but a man shaped robot. His armor was dark. This was the machine we wanted. It wasn't a Gundam, but surely a powerful weapon. It had a fearsome mask with stylized fangs where the mouth should have been, but there were eyes behind the mask. Human eyes.  
  
Nasutei was shaking as she watched the machine approach, more terrified now then when I'd had a gun to her head and the machine laughed horribly. It seemed odd, that a machine should have an evil laugh.  
  
"Naaza." Nasutei whispered the word and the machine responded looking over her head to where Ryo and his friends were now standing, glaring at the machine. Perhaps they had really been telling the truth and hadn't known about it. Then why should it come now? Had the Gundam's we'd brought attracted it or was it merely defending its master, Nasutei?   
  
"We've come for the others." The machine said in a hissing tone, a chain of six katana's hanging like a black, glowing whip from its metal hand. It turned its head toward where we were just starting to stand up. "They are sought by emperor Arago, thank you so much for finding them for us." It's eyes looked at us almost greedily.  
  
Duo narrowed his eyes. "What the Hell's going on?!" He was very fed up with all the mystery and those new machines were creepy.  
  
When this happened Ryo and his friends had run out of the house again, and they were now standing in a line and watched tensely. Ryo looked at us. "You are out of your league. Do not fight, you won't be able to win. Go hide somewhere, quick! We'll make sure he doesn't get you."  
  
"Just let us get to our Gundam's and you'll see some fighting!" Wufei shouted angry at being so helpless. He, for one, would never run away.  
  
Ryo looked like he wanted to say more, but the strange machine was starting to wave the chain of swords. "Be it on your own heads. I suppose you had to learn about this one way or the other." Ryo raised one fist and looked at his friends standing behind it and shouted at them. "To arms!"   
  
There was a blinding flash of color before all five of them were transformed into different colored armor. They must be machines, also. Strangely, I felt tingle on my forehead. I thought nothing of this until I happened to look over at the others and saw their forehead glowing.  
  
Trowa had a Kanji symbol on his forehead, the symbol of harmony.   
  
Quarte was compassion.  
  
Duo was passion.   
  
Wufei had the symbol of honor   
  
I somehow knew that I had the symbol of Will on my forehead.   
  
But before anything could be done, there appeared behind the newly armored boys another of the weapons, the robots. This one had a helmet with long horns that looked like antlers.  
  
"Rajura!" One of the boys in blue said. They shouted back and forth for a moment, before the red machine pointed to us.   
  
"Leave them alone, they're only kids!"   
  
The machine, Rajura, shook its head and drew a wicked looking weapon off its back.   
  
That's why everyone had been so secretive. They were trying to protect the secret that they were weapons. Watching Nasutei cower behind the weapons, Heero knew she was not a weapon. More likely she was the creator or she had stolen them and didn't want anyone to find them so she dressed them up as human.  
  
The five we thought were human divided up, back to back, and faced the machines, Rajura and Naaza. Touma, Shu, and Seiji were facing Rajura while Ryo and Shin faced off with Naaza. Every one of them had some old fashioned weapon, swords, bow and arrow, and various bladed weapons. Not one of them had a gun unless it was hidden.  
  
Another weapon appeared, seeming to drift out of the shadows of the house itself and I wondered if these ones were here to collect the missing ones or perhaps Nasutei had created them all and this was just a trick of some kind.  
  
Ryo growled at the newest one. "Anubis." Ryo then ran into battle with one of the machine swinging two narrow swords off its back. The battle began with a clashing of swords.  
  
It was a fierce battle, though it was the first Duo had ever seen where there were no guns or explosions. Only swords and other primitive looking weapons were used.  
  
"What's going on?" Duo sounded very worried. "What's happened to Ryo?" I know that Ryo's his old friend, but I don't think it's safe for Duo to keep thinking like that. "What's happening to us?" Duo rubbed his forehead, where the glowing symbol of passion still glowed. That was a far more sensible question and one that I wanted to find out the answer to, also. I believe that these people have the answer.  
  
At least, the weapons looked primitive until one Shin raised his weapons, a huge yari, and shouted at his opponent, a large weapon with a red cape that Ryo had called Anubis. "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" He screamed.   
  
Duo stared as the weapon was bathed in blue light and a pulsing energy formed at the end of its weapon. The energy turned into a wave of raging water and exploded from the barbed tips of the trident, shooting out and hitting the opponent in the chest sending him flying backwards.   
  
That was no primitive weapon.   
  
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!" Naaza screamed, lashing out at one of the machines in green. The machine, it was the one who'd been reading when we'd arrived, the blond who wouldn't speak to us at first. Seiji quickly dodged out of the way and used the biggest sword Duo had ever seen to slash at the sword-whip thing. After sending it back a few paces, Seiji raised his sword and shouted,  
  
"Thunder Bolt Cut!" A flash of lightening connected to the tip of his raised sword which he swung at his enemy and a powerful energy wave shot out of his sword, only barely missing Naaza.  
  
Seiji now stood over us with cold lavender eyes looking down at them from behind the facemask. "Stay away from the battle. You are good fighters, but not good enough." With that final warning, Seiji jumped away, back into the battle.  
  
Duo pulled out his gun, but Nasutei grabbed his arm. "Don't!" She cried alarmed. Somehow, while we were all concentrating on the battle, Nasutei had come over to us and was keeping as low to the ground as we were, so I think she must have been through this a time or two before.  
  
Duo frowned. "Why not? They need all the help they can get if these things are so dangerous."  
  
The girl frowned. "Guns won't hurt them. Just let the Troopers handle this."  
  
"Typical woman." Wufei sniffed. He'd crawled over to them with Quarte. "You're going to let others do your fighting for you." Wuffie had also drawn his gun and was casting longing looks at his Gundam, which was effectively cut off from them.  
  
Nasutei shook her head. "Don't be so arrogant. No normal human could hope to out fight a Ma-Sho, the Trooper's are our only hope. We have to keep you safe and out of the battles." Her eyes went wide with fear. "Oh, no! What's he doing?" She looked to where Heero was trying to sneak up on Anubis.  
  
Duo smiled. This was typical of his friend. "In Heero's defense, he's not exactly normal."  
  
To their shock, Nasutei jumped up and took off into the thick of the battle. "Hey!" Duo tried to grab her before she got herself hurt, but he just missed. "Wait! Damn." He missed by just inches. He took off after her and saw that she was headed for the machine Heero was trying to sneak up on.  
  
Duo watched as he ran and saw Heero look at Nasutei running toward him at full tilt. He knew what Heero would be thinking and nothing could stop the perfect soldier. Duo ran faster. Maybe if he could reach Nasutei before she was perceived as a threat...  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
The machine was close, but I don't know if my gun will do much damage against the armor it's wearing. The armor is very impressive; still, the gun was designed to go through buildings, so this shouldn't be too difficult.  
  
I was suddenly aware that someone was running at me so I looked over to see the girl, Nasutei, her arms out in front of her, running straight toward me. Duo was running behind her. Was he chasing her? She would soon interfere with the battle, though the machines seemed to be ignoring her at the moment.  
  
She got a little to close so I obeyed my training and turned the gun to the girl. She was not an alley, therefore she must be an enemy. I fired.  
  
A thin staff blocked my shot, remarkably, and I looked appraisingly at the man holding the staff. The owner of the staff looked down at me with contempt, holding the girl protectively in one arm. With lightening quick reflexes, the staff knocked my gun out of my hand and, when my gun landed on the ground, a swift blow of the staff crushed it. I looked up at the red haired man who'd saved my target.  
  
Enemy?  
  
His green eyes burned with anger and it wasn't just at me. "That would be most unwise." He said firmly. The girl looked up at him.  
  
"Thank you, Sh'ten."  
  
"Nasutei-sama, please stay out of the battle. If he wishes to get himself killed, let him do it on his own." Sh'ten then looked around seeing that everyone was now watching him.  
  
The machine with antlers looked at him. "Do you want to fight, Sh'ten? We would be more than happy to oblige, ototo (little brother)." Its voice had a metallic ring to it. This machine swung its many bladed weapon around easily. "Come back to us, ototo. You know that you truly belong with us." Its voice was seductive and sweet.  
  
"Even you know that we need to be together, Sh'ten." The one with the cape said.  
  
"Oh, yes. We should be together." Sh'ten nodded in agreement. "But not under the rule of Arago! You must come to me, brothers. Come to me or leave!" The staff started to glow with a blinding light coming from a ball at the top of the staff. The light grew and grew and the machines screamed. Why would machines scream, I wondered. Could they really be people?  
  
With curses at Sh'ten, the three attackers vanished.  
  
Silence in the back yard when Sh'ten, with his arm still around Nasutei, looked at the Gundam pilots in turn. "I believe you were invited inside." He offered his arm to Nasutei, like a proper gentleman, and escorted her in. The still armored warriors filed in behind him, not bothering to see if we would follow.  
  
  
  
In the living room our hosts had taken off their armor, all but Nasutei who didn't seem to have any and Sh'ten who wore monk's robes. Wufei had kept his eyes on Sh'ten. "I know you." The kanji on his forehead of honor had faded as soon as the danger was over as had all of ours.  
  
Sh'ten nodded. "I told you that it was destiny and you couldn't escape. You have a choice to make, though I hope it will not be necessary."  
  
Wufei glared at him. "I can create my own destiny."  
  
"Perhaps. Or perhaps you just think you can. That is all beside the point, as it can not be proved one way or the other. You heard what my brothers have said. They are coming for you."  
  
"Why?" Heero asked.  
  
"You are the replacements." Ryo searched for the words to explain. "We were all given the armor to fight Emperor Arago and make sure that he doesn't take over this world. We've been in some pretty tight situations, but we've made it out all right, so far. Nasutei had a vision a few days ago that told of new people, six new people, who would be able to wear the armor if anything should happen to us. You know, if we die."  
  
The Gundam pilots stared at him as if he were insane. "A vision?" Duo asked. "You're following a vision?"   
  
Touma pointed outside where the scars of the battle still marked the ground with large burns and new craters in Nasutei's lawn. "You saw the same things we did out there. How can you doubt it? Don't you believe you own eyes? Following visions is quite normal for us, actually."  
  
Duo glared at Ryo who was looking at the floor guiltily. "You could have told me about all this, Ryo! This is kind of a big deal and it does involve me, just a little."  
  
Ryo hung his head, but then looked up at Seiji and smiled. Ryo shook his head. "Don't do it, Seiji. That wouldn't be very courteous. He's a guest, after all."  
  
Quarte looked at them. "Did I just miss half a conversation?"  
  
"That's something you need to hear, too." Ryo answered. "We're all telepathic, but only with each other. I expect that if you ever have to bear the armor, then you'll develop these powers, too."  
  
"Telepathic? That's why you space out sometimes?" Duo asked, not sure that he liked the sound of this. "You mean other people can get into your head? What did he say?"  
  
"He suggested something rather unpleasant to make you regret making me feel bad." Ryo smiled at Seiji and went to sit on Duo's left (Heero had taken Duo's right side, obviously.) "My koibito is like that sometimes. I understand you have the same problem." He cast a look at Heero who glared back. "The link between us is one of the best parts of who we are, Duo! We're never alone, there's always someone right here." Ryo tapped the side of his head with a finger. Duo looked unconvinced. He wasn't even sure that he wanted Heero inside his head and he loved Heero with all his heart.   
  
Trowa, next to Quarte, said, "This is fascinating, but I would like to hear the rest of this. Who were those others and why did they want us?"  
  
"It is best to start at the beginning. The armor can not exist on it's own." Sh'ten explained. "Without a human soul to provide energy, it is merely a shell. There must be nine of us, and we fight Arago, the emperor of the nether Realms. Unfortunately, four bearers of the armor were corrupted before being given their armor. They are the Ma-Sho Gen, Doku, Yami, and Oni. I am...was the Oni Ma-Sho Sh'ten Doji. The monk, Kaosu, saved me and showed me where my true loyalty lay.  
  
They are coming for you for the same reason that we have sought you out. They want to make sure you are on the proper side if you are chosen for the armor. It would be a great bonus for Arago if we were all killed and you got the armor and sided with him. Then there would be no resistance to his invasion."  
  
Quarte spoke up. "I suppose you'd rather that they all die and their armors came to fight on your side?"  
  
Sh'ten shook his head. "I would rather that no one die. I said it before. The Ma-Sho are my brothers. I have lived with them for more than four hundred years and I love them like family. But, I can not allow them to destroy this world."  
  
Duo was still skeptical. "Magic armors and ancient demons bent on world domination?" Duo laughed. "This had to be some sort of joke." Then he remembered the battle and decided that if it was a joke, it was a very strange one.  
  
It was Wufei who answered Duo. "Don't be so sure, Duo." Wufei was looking at Sh'ten closely. "I once read a book that told of an armor that defeated evil coming into this world. A white armor with a crown of golden thorns and two swords of fire. It was a power that was capable of destroying the world or saving it. A power that knew few bounds." Wufei looked around at the armored warriors. "Is there another armor I'm not seeing or is this legend false?"  
  
Ryo shook his head. "That's Kikoutei and it's the combination of our armors to our most powerful form. It's formed after I receive the powers of the others and bring them into Recca, the armor of Wildfire."  
  
Wufei thought. "The legend said nothing of Kikoutei, but called it Hariel's white armor of Inferno."  
  
Nasutei, sitting near Sh'ten said, "Hariel was the first bearer of Kikoutei. After his death, Kaosu divided the armor into nine parts. The armor is alive and had it's own...desires, so dividing them lessened the possibility of Kikoutei's taking over the bearer."  
  
Everyone was suddenly quiet and Quarte's eyes almost popped out of his head when he realized what they were saying. "You mean you can't control those things?!" He pointed to the armors. How could anything be allowed to exist that had such power, but no way of controlling it?  
  
Most of the Troopers looked away, as if they didn't want to deal with that thought, but Seiji spoke. "The armor was not created for us to wear. We were made to wear it."  
  
"I'm not sure I understand." Trowa sat forward a little in the chair he was sitting in. "Was it genetic manipulation, experimentation, or training?"  
  
"I suppose you could say it was genetic manipulation in the simplest terms." Touma answered thoughtfully. "From what we understand, a thousand years ago, Kaosu knew the armors would need people with certain characteristics to control them. He encouraged unions that would produce children with the needed traits and strengths. His meddling created, in the end, all of us, the Ma-Sho, and you."  
  
"Answer Quarte's question." Heero said. "Can you control those armors?" It seemed to Heero a very important point. "Would we be able to control them?"  
  
"We did answer." Ryo said. "We were created to wear the armor. We have all the strength to wear it so we can control it. However, if we start to doubt ourselves or our right to the armor, then we weaken. If we weaken, then the armor can take over and we will just be puppets to its desire."  
  
"What if we're not strong enough for it?" Quarte asked, sounding more than a little frightened at the prospect. Trowa put a comforting hand on Quarte's shoulder. "You did say that we're basically back ups, didn't you? We're not the ones who are really supposed to have it."  
  
Shu smiled at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, bud. You were made for the armor, just like we were. You are strong enough, so long as you don't doubt yourself."  
  
"Why are you telling us this? Are you planning to abandon the armor?"  
  
"No, the armor can't just be abandoned. However, if you have to take it, it's better that you understand what's going on. You are our replacements should anything happen to us in the wars." Shin told them sadly. "If I could have abandoned the armor, I might have done that long ago." He looked at his friends. "Of coarse that means I wouldn't have met my new family."  
  
"And what if we refuse to take the armor?" Duo asked, as usual he was rebelling against the idea that he had to do something. Not that he wouldn't like that really cool armor, but he just didn't want anyone telling him that he had to.  
"We do have a bit of a war going on ourselves."  
  
Sh'ten sat on the arm of Nasutei's chair. "You can't refuse it. If you refuse to take it, then it will take you. There is no choice."  
  
Duo let this sink in. "Why us? Why were we chosen?"  
  
"Why were any of us?" Ryo answered. "Personally, if it weren't for this armor thing, I'd be at the orphanage still. Frankly, I'm very proud to wear it." Another thought crossed Ryo's mind. "It may be destiny that brings you together, after all, you know. You were all created to be back up for the armor, but you are also all pilots for those Gundam things, right? That can't be coincidence. Either fate or Kaosu wanted you to all learn to work together, I think."  
  
A quiet moment until Duo smiled brightly. "So, who gets which armor?" He looked around. "I hope I get that trident thing. That's cool!"  
  
Shin looked insulted. "It's called a yari and you only get it over my dead body!" He didn't like the thoughts of someone else touching his weapon.  
  
Duo smiled evilly, deciding that this was a good time to tease. "That's the whole point of his conversation, isn't it? Don't you know who I am?" He spread his arms wide and said, "I am Shinagami, the god of Death! I will say who dies and who does not!"  
  
Shin's lip wobbled and it looked like he was going to burst into tears. Duo almost felt bad about teasing the little wuse.   
  
Suddenly, Shin charged Duo and pinned him to the ground, slamming his head against the floor hard enough to rattle Duo's brain. "You killed my Lenny!" Shin screamed insanely. "You killed my baby! Die, baka!"  
  
"Now, now." Touma pulled Shin off Duo and hugged him. "Don't worry, Shin. I promised I'd get you a new goldfish, didn't I?"  
  
Shin sobbed into Touma's chest. "It's not the same!"  
  
Touma continued, rubbing Shin's back. "You know he's just teasing, he's not really a god of Death, so he didn't kill Lenny."  
  
Heero helped Duo up off the floor and Duo muttered, "Remind me not to tease him again!"  
  
Ryo whispered. "Death in the family, dude. He's still getting over it."  
  
"We found him belly up and had to flush the little guy yesterday." Shu confirmed sadly, munching on a chicken leg he'd found somewhere.  
  
Hearing Shu's words, Shin burst into fresh tears and Touma glared at Shu over Shin's head.  
  
Wufei scoffed. "He attacked Duo for the death of a fish? That's pathetic."  
  
Ryo gulped hard as Shin stiffened in Touma's arms, hearing the remark. It was Duo who slapped a hand over Wufei's mouth. "Keep your mouth shut, idiot! He's stronger than he looks and he'll kill you!"  
  
Just then, Heero's cell phone rang. He answered with a sharp, "Here." Just to let the caller know he was paying attention. Something about that made Seiji look up and his eyes narrowed. At this reaction, all the Troopers frowned.   
  
Heero listened to the other person talk for a moment before a hand snatched the phone out of his hand. Heero was more than surprised to find Seiji was quicker than he was. Heero instantly pulled his gun, but Seiji paid no attention as he listened to the voice on the other end.  
  
-Heero? Heero? Where are you?- The voice demanded.  
  
Seiji scowled and his grip tightened on the receiver. "Hello, Dr. J." Seiji replied.  
  
Everyone stared and Heero's gun drooped just a fraction of an inch, showing how surprised he was that anyone would know Dr. J.  
  
-Who is that? Where is Heero?- The old man's voice demanded.  
  
"Why don't you come and find out, Dr. J?" Seiji crushed the phone in one hand before stalking away.  
  
  
  
  
To be continued... 


	7. Chapter 7   Imperfect Soldier

Chapter seven  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
  
I walked into the kitchen, leaving the others to stare at my back. I heard, before the door shut behind me, Ryo say, "I'll go see him."  
  
Why did this have to happen? Life was going just fine and now they have to come along and remind me of everything I'd left behind. I should have known, though, when I saw Heero through Ryo's eyes during his first day at that new school. I knew that he seemed familiar, but I'd thought it was because he was one of our replacements. Later, when he came to our home, his eyes reminded me of something, but I dismissed it to quickly. Now I know where I've seen his eyes before. They stared at me every morning in the mirror all of my childhood.  
  
When their Gundams had landed, that was the final clue. Now Dr. J was calling Heero. I sighed rubbing my temples. I really don't want to deal with this, but reality is calling.   
  
I was standing at the sink when Ryo followed me into the kitchen. He touched my arm. "Hey, are you all right?" His eyes are bright with worry. He doesn't know. None of my friends do.  
  
I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, RYO. I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOU TO GET INVOLVED. KEEP THE OTHERS AWAY, WILL YOU?  
  
"Only if you tell me what's going on." Ryo touched my arm. There was a time that I hated it when people touched me. My friends are different, though. They feel right.  
  
I turned away a little. I've never told the others about my past. It was...painful, to say the least, and to recent. It wasn't that long ago when I was so different. None of them would recognize me if they saw me like I was. The others were waiting, concerned about my behavior, but they said nothing. Ryo can talk me into just about anything, they know, so they leave it to him. My sweet, savage love.  
  
How can I tell him how I know Dr. J? How can I tell him that Heero and I are so very much alike? How can I tell him how I first met my nemesis, Yami Ma-Sho Anubis?  
  
I opened my mind to Ryo.  
  
  
  
  
Seiji's flashback-  
  
  
  
  
My name is Seiji. Date Seiji.   
  
"You are Hiro. Repeat." The automated voice ordered.  
  
"I am Hiro." I repeated as instructed. My name is Seiji, which was my forceful thought. I am the first son of the honored Date clan and I want to go home.  
  
"You will obey orders."  
  
"I will obey orders." I hate them. I want to go home. I've been here two years, but they won't let me go home and they won't let me call my mom or dad. They said my mom and dad don't want me anymore, but that's not true, they're lying! If it was true that scary guy with the metal arm wouldn't have had to kidnap me. They grabbed me when I was waiting for my sister to pick me up after kindergarden. That jerk.  
  
"Soldier's duty is to succeed or die."  
  
"Soldier's duty is to succeed or die." I'm sitting in the empty training room, a stark white room with nothing but a stool that I sit on while listening to the droning computer tried to pound the instructions into my head. I have to keep telling myself, I am Seiji. I am NOT Hiro! I AM Seiji!  
  
Sometimes, I'm afraid that I'm going to forget who I am.  
  
I quickly work to get myself under control. This is a lesson, they tell me. Keep oneself in control. Emotion is for the weak and for civilians. I will fail missions if I allow myself to become emotional.  
  
Do I care? No, not really, but the electrodes attached to the skin over my heart and at my temples are painful when the electricity is turned on. I still have scars from the last punishment when I'd gotten angry.  
  
In the beginning, they'd beaten me for outbursts and tears. They'd shocked me for trying to escape and disobedience, so I'd learned better.   
  
The voice droned on and I repeated dutifully with no other choice. I'd tried to get out once, but there was only one door and it was locked on the outside. I was trapped here, but I'm still not sure where I am. They've kept me inside for a long time, in the sterile white walls of this building. I saw stars once, from a window, but that was all I can remember. They have a training field, but even that's inside a glassed dome with a hard steel floor.   
  
The door slid open and the voice was turned off. In walked the bane of my life. The old man with white hair and a cane gave him a fake smile he always seemed to use. "Good morning, Hiro. How are you?" He looked out at me from behind dark, round glasses.  
  
I glared at the man, but didn't answer. Dr. J didn't want answers, he wanted obedience and silence. Right now, to survive, I will give the old man what he wants. Dr. J started to walk around me. "You are doing very well, Hiro. Soon you will progress to the next level of your training. Are you pleased?"  
  
I said nothing, but kept my eyes on him.  
  
"Very good." Dr. J commented. "I see that you have finally learned how a soldier is supposed to behave. You have no need for pleasure or pain, Hiro. You are a soldier and you are simply to obey orders."  
  
I turned my mind away from Dr. J and back to my memories, slowly fading, of the way life used to be. I saw my sister, with her long black hair tied into a braid, running out the door, late for school again. She was six years older than I was, already in school. As she ran past me in the garden, Amiya stopped and reached down and rubbed my blonde hair fondly. "Have fun today, squirt. Mama said you're going to Kindergarden today." Amiya always spared a moment for me.  
  
I had nodded happily, so proud to go to school, just like my big sister. Amiya laughed and winked at me. "Gotta run, Sei-Chan. Bye!" And she ran, stirring up dust as she went. "I'll pick you up after school, so wait for me, OK?"  
  
The memory fled as something struck my arm, hard. I grunted and grabbed my throbbing arm to find Dr. J holding his cane like a baseball bat. "Daydreaming is not efficient, Hiro. You have been allowed to drift off, in the past. I've noticed when you tune out the lecture machines and your teachers. This will no longer be tolerated."  
  
I started to get angry. How dare this jerk try to control even that! Wasn't I even allowed to remember anymore!? Damn, but they couldn't take my memories. They can't take my family!  
  
A slight tingle at my temples got my attention, but I didn't give them the satisfaction of acknowledging it. I would not let them take everything. I wanted to cry, but I'm not allowed to. Crying isn't allowed and Dr. J will hurt me for it. But I'm so angry! The tingle fades for a moment and then,  
  
ZAPP!  
  
I fell on the floor, screaming with pain as the shock shot through my head and my chest. I rolled on the floor and it seemed like forever, praying that someone would save me. Someone to make the pain stop. God, it hurts!  
  
No one came to save me.  
  
Dr. J turned off the power to the things that are strapped to my head and chest. "You never learn, Hiro. You are just to rebellious." I watched his feet walk around me, but I still hurt to much to move. Stars were dancing in front of my face and I just wanted to go to sleep.  
  
"Stand up." Dr. J said, "Come here, Hiro. You will start your physical education today and I have something to help you concentrate. You will have to learn to ignore the pain."  
  
Seiji. My name is Seiji. I repeated to myself as I pushed myself up off the floor and walked to him. My feet were bare, as usual, and I was wearing plain black trousers, but that is all. I don't need anything else, according to Dr. J.  
  
Mama once told me once that doctors are good people who make us feel better when we get sick. She told me this when she took me to the hospital to get a shot. That was the first place I saw Dr. J. He smiled at me and spoke so nicely, but I didn't like him, not even back then. Mama wanted me to be nice to the good doctor. I didn't like him, but Mama said the doctors would never hurt me.  
  
Mama was wrong.  
  
Dr. J pulled a bottle out of the pocket of his white coat with his metal hand. "Come get your medicine, Hiro."  
  
I had to frown. What medicine? I'm not sick, but maybe it would stop the pain.  
  
Dr. J held up the bottle of red liquid. "Just something to make you feel better. It will help you concentrate, too."  
  
Little alarms were going on in my mind. Something was wrong about this. Something was very, very wrong. I started to shake my head. "I don't need it."  
  
"You must do as the doctor says, Hiro." Dr. J started walking toward me with the bottle in one hand and a spoon in the other. "You are a soldier, Hiro, so you need to obey. I order you to take this medicine, you must obey."   
  
I gulped. This was serious. Another lesson, probably. If I refused, it would mean pain and I don't know if I can deal with more right now. If he obeyed, what? What was that stuff, really? Lessons couldn't be refused, I knew.   
  
Dr. J poured out a spoonful of the liquid and held it out to me. I hesitated only long enough to see Dr. J's eyes flash with annoyance before I opened my mouth and swallowed the sweet stuff.   
  
It was like syrup that clung to my throat and choked on the way down. Instantly, I felt weird. The pain didn't seem to go away, but it faded until I could barely feel it. I don't know what it was, exactly, but my mind started to go numb. I...I...I want to...what? What do I want to do?  
  
"Time for your new training, Hiro." Dr. J told me.  
  
Hiro? Isn't my name...my name...Hiro?  
  
"Training?"   
  
Dr. J turned me and started me out the door. "Go to the practice field and you're new teacher will be waiting." I did as I was told. Strange, wasn't I upset a minute ago? No, it couldn't be. Why would I be upset? The fleeting image of a girl with long dark hair running past me came, but vanished quickly. Must not be important.  
  
I walked to the training field feeling detached from everything. This was a nice feeling. I like the patterns of the floor tiles as I walk and the machines humming around me sound like music. I even liked the serious face of the boy who passed me in the hall. He was smaller than I was with brown hair hanging in his eyes. He was wearing black shorts with a green, sleeveless shirt. Two of the large nurses flanked him on either side and our eyes met for just a second. His eyes were hard as little sapphires, seeming to look right through me.   
  
In the training field, I was almost happy. The red medicine was making me feel weird and the stars are dancing. I can imagine that it's night out here under the stars, night as I remember it back home. With grass under my feet and I dancing with...someone. Someone bigger than I was.   
  
"Who are you, boy?"  
  
I turned to look at the man standing in the middle of the training field. He was tall with dark blue hair and a scar on one cheek, shaped like a cross. "Well," He sounded annoyed. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am Hiro." The response was beaten in by now. This man feels familiar.  
  
The man regarded me with a scowl. "Go away, Hiro. I am working."  
  
"I have to be here." I tried to explain.  
  
His lips curled into a smirk. "Really? Why?"  
  
I opened my mouth, but I don't know what to say. Why did I come out here? I know there was a reason. "I obeyed." That was the only answer I knew. "I was ordered to, so I obeyed."  
  
This raised the man's eyebrows just a bit. "You obeyed? Well, that is sensible." It seemed to amuse him for some reason. Slowly, the smirk vanished and his bent down to look closely at me. "You? No!" The man groaned. "This can't be happening to me!" His eyes went to Dr. J strolling out of the building toward them.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Yami. How nice to see you again." Before he could get any further, the stranger grabbed Dr. J by the throat and hauled him off his feet.   
  
"Tell me that I am not training this child! You promised me a warrior to train!" The man growled, and I could see tiny fangs in his mouth. "That is the only reason I accepted your offer."  
  
Dr. J gagged a little and the man let him down. "Now, now, Mr. Yami, calm down. I actually promised you a soldier and Hiro is being trained to be a perfect soldier. We need you with your accomplished fighting skills to teach him hand to hand combat."  
  
Mr. Yami put down Dr. J and pointed at me accusingly. "He's a child! I do not train children!" Mr. Yami grabbed me by the top of my head and pushed my blonde hair aside, revealing the burn marks of my disobedience. He glared at Dr. J. "And he is a wounded child. What have you done to him?"  
  
"It's all apart of his training." Dr. J said. "Just do a through job and we'll have no complaints, I'm sure." Dr. J turned and hurried away.  
  
Mr. Yami looked back down at me with a disgusted expression. "I said I wanted adventure! I said I wanted a new experience! I said I was bored!" Mr. Yami muttered to himself. "Why can't I keep my big mouth shut? Sh'ten will never let me hear the end of this!" Finally, he stopped talking to himself and looked at me. "Well, boy, what have you got to say?"  
  
I said nothing. No one wanted me to talk.  
  
This man, though, looked at me impatiently. "Well?"  
  
I opened my mouth, but still didn't know what to say. Wasn't he here to teach me to fight? I thought this was more training.  
  
Mr. Yami rolled his eyes. "Call me Anubis." He said.  
  
"Anubis." I repeated dutifully.  
  
He walked around me, obviously deciding that if he had to do this, he might as well do it right. "How old are you, Hiro?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
This made him pause. "You don't know how old you are?"  
  
A memory was trying to force its way through the fog in my mind. A birthday cake with candles and family gathered all around. They were singing to me.  
  
My shoulders were grabbed suddenly and I found Anubis looking directly in my face. "Do I know you?" He asked. "You feel very familiar, boy." He examined my face, before shrugging. "My mistake I suppose. I haven't been in this realm for several centuries, so I can't possibly know you." Anubis frowned and sniffed.  
  
He paused and sniffed again, close enough to my mouth that his messy blue hair touched my forehead and nose. His eyes widened in surprise. "Damn, boy. You've been drugged." He sounded surprised. "Well, I can't teach someone who can't think properly." Anubis went to several bags and started digging through them. Eventually, he came up with an envelope and brought it over to me. "Good thing Naaza thought to give this to me." Anubis told me, even though I don't know who Naaza is. Anubis knelt at my feet and pulled me down to sit on the grass. "This is strong stuff, boy. You'll want to be sitting for it, trust me." Anubis opened the envelope and pulled out a dried leaf of some kind. When the sun hit it, the leaf turned a silver color.   
  
Anubis told me to open my mouth, which I did without question. "Just let it sit under your tongue for a minute. When you start to feel your eyes water, spit it out." He placed the leaf under my tongue and I waited only a few seconds before tears were running down my cheeks and I had to spit the vile thing out.  
  
The world spun around me and I fell to my side, throwing up. When I could think properly, Anubis was laughing at me. "Told you it was better to sit down when you took that." He said, helping me to sit up. "So, what did they give you?"  
  
I could think better now and the silver leaf must have worked. "Red stuff in a bottle." The pain from earlier had also come back. I don't want to move.  
  
"Do you feel better now?"  
  
I kept quiet. I wasn't allowed to admit pain or weakness.   
  
The blue haired man frowned at me. "Answer me when I talk to you, boy."  
  
"I hurt." I can't disobey a direct order.  
  
He looked again at the burns on my temples. "Is this the only place?"  
  
I tapped my chest, careful not to actually touch the burn on my chest. Anubis pulled down my shirt and looked at it. "Nothing that will kill you, I guess. Still, it must hurt." Something cold touched the burns and I gasped with the change. "Just hold still." I opened my eyes and saw him touched my chest with his bare hand. There was nothing in his hand, so why was it so cold? "This will numb the burns enough to stop the pain. Sorry, but I'm no healer." He touched the burns on my head, cooling them as well.   
  
When I could move without tears, I sat up and touched my still freezing skin. "How?"  
  
Anubis shrugged. "It's just a talent. How can I train you if you're in agony?" Anubis then turned his attention to the stuff I'd just thrown up and spoke to himself. "Naaza? What is this stuff?" He stared at the thrown up medicine hard.   
  
"Who are you talking to?" I asked. He seemed nicer than the doctors and didn't punish me for talking.  
  
"One of my brothers. Now hush, I'm listening." He turned his attention back to the voice only he could hear. "The boy was given it and I smelled it on his breath." He paused, and I thought maybe he was waiting for an answer. Then he said. "All right. I understand, thanks."  
  
Anubis looked at me seriously. "I don't know what you've gotten mixed up in, boy, but I'd get out if I were you. Naaza says this is a drug to control a person's mind. It's very dangerous and shouldn't be used on anyone let alone a child. That Dr. J probably gave it to you to make you more obedient, didn't he?"  
  
I nodded slowly.   
  
"Then if I were you, I'd do exactly what they say all the time, if you can't get away from them. They must have been very desperate to use that stuff, so they are dangerous. Don't do anything stupid."  
  
I nodded (I already knew they were dangerous), and Anubis stood up, helping me to do the same. "We're in this together, boy. Might as well get used to it. I don't know why those people want a child to fight, but you will be better off in the end if you can at least defend yourself. You may thank me one day."  
  
We spent the rest of the day with Anubis bashing me around. He wasn't cruel or unreasonable, or at least he didn't seem to think so. Anubis never really hurt me, nothing lasting, anyway. I did start to get better after a few lessons and I looked forward to our time together. Anubis was honest and strong and he seemed to be in the dark about what was going on. All he knew was that he was just hired to train me.  
  
  
  
  
  
I had a dream the night that I met Anubis. Maybe it was because of all the battering I'd taken from him, but I dreamed. I never dream. At least, I don't remember what I dream. This one was so vivid, I'll never forget it.  
  
The old man was standing in the forest. He held a staff in one hand and just watched me. I was silent, waiting for the orders I knew must be coming. But he said nothing.   
  
Beside the old man appeared a suit of armor, green with a gray facemask and a long sword held in one of its metal clad hands. It was in a sitting position on a little stool. The armor was mine, I knew. I felt as if it was apart of me, so I went to it.  
  
The old man bent down to look me in the face. "Wait, young one." His voice was echoed strangely. "This will all come in time, but you must come for it."  
  
I want to touch it, but the dream started to fade. "Not yet, Seiji no Korin."   
  
And I was left alone in the darkness of my room. I hate the darkness, so I ran to turn the lights on again. They always turned it off and I always turned it back on. The room was empty, but I could almost feel the armor. Seiji no Korin? What did that mean?   
  
The door of my room slid open suddenly and Anubis was in the doorway, scowling. He looked around the room, as if he expected to find someone else there, but then looked down at me. "I just had the strangest feeling, Hiro. It woke me up, in fact. Did anything odd happen?"  
  
I wanted to tell him about my dream, but why would he even care? It was only a dream, after all. I shook my head, "No."  
  
He frowned again. "Must be my imagination. Why are you up this time of night, boy?"  
  
"I couldn't sleep." Well, that was sort of true.  
  
Anubis allowed himself a half smile. He gave me a little push toward my cot. "Get to sleep. I get you first thing in the morning and you need sleep for my training."  
  
After I'd gotten back in bed, he reached for the light switch on the wall and noticed that I tensed. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't like the dark." I admitted. Anubis wouldn't hurt me for telling him something like that.  
  
The man raised an eyebrow. "Really? The dark is nothing to fear."  
  
"I know."  
  
He flicked the light off and a hand landed on the top of my head. "I'll sit with you for a while, Hiro. Go to sleep." I never felt so safe in the dark as when Anubis sat at my side while I slept. He was still there when I woke up in the morning, but asleep sitting up on my bed. The next night, he gave me a night-light. Dr. J destroyed it when he found it.  
  
  
  
"Why are you here?" I asked Anubis quietly one day as we rested after a match. We were sitting on the floor of the practice field and, though Anubis didn't mind my talking, I was afraid Dr. J would find out and have me punished. It was a question that had bothered me for a while. Anubis seemed to be a great fighter and I wanted to know why he wasn't in a real army.  
  
Anubis, polishing the long sword he'd taken out of his room today, didn't look at me. "I'm sort of waiting for a big job to come along. I just have to wait until my master says it's time. Then we'll take over everything."  
  
That sounded familiar. "Are you working for OZ?"  
  
Anubis shook his head. "Sorry, I don't even know what OZ is, Hiro."  
  
I was sitting with him in the grass and hugged my knees, liking the feeling of the silk clothes I was wearing. Anubis had insisted that for training with him, I had to dress in traditional gear rather than the drab black uniform Dr. J provided for me to wear. His version of traditional was bright green, baggy trousers with a paler green tunic. He wore black himself. "I have to destroy OZ." I told him, fascinated with Anubis' sword.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But I have to destroy OZ. Dr. J said OZ is trying to take over everything and that they are a threat to everything everywhere. You said you were going to take over the world, so I thought you might be working for OZ." This brought an unpleasant thought. "I don't want to have to fight you for real, Anubis."  
  
Anubis grinned, still concentrating on his sword. "You won't, I have nothing to do with OZ. This big job I'm working on is going to happen very soon, so I'll come back for you after we take over the world. How would you like to be a squire?"  
  
"What's a squire?"  
  
"You carry things for me and I teach you how to be a warrior, basically."  
  
This was the most generous, amazing, unbelievable thing anyone had ever asked me. I nodded quickly. Anubis grunted, "Good. I think you will like my brothers." He put his sword down and pulled something out from one of his many bags. The object was wrapped in green silk and he handed it to me with a small, hidden smile. "It's a gift for you."  
  
I hadn't been given a gift in many, many years. It was heavy in my hands and after taking the fine silk off, I saw that he had given me a sword. Well, it was really just a long knife, but it seemed like a sword to me. I held it up to look at how the artificial light shone on the blade and I must have looked pretty stupid because Anubis laughed. "Close your mouth, you'll catch flies."  
  
"Thank you." I whispered. A weapon and it was beautiful.  
  
Anubis blushed and tried to hide it. "Humph! You'll need something if you're to learn anything more. I teach with the sword, and that one's small enough a kid like you can handle it easily. I'll get you a bigger one once you grow a bit."  
  
The time I spent with Anubis was the happiest of my hard, unhappy childhood. I hated Dr. J, hated the computers, and hated the training that would lead to killing. I know they wanted me to kill, why else would they teach me killing zones and how to use guns?   
  
Guns are crass and uncivilized, that's what Anubis said once when he refused to teach me how to use the things. I would always remember that little discussion with Dr. J. It was amazing.  
  
Dr. J handed the guns to Anubis who looked down at them with sneer. "I do not use such things." Anubis had told Dr. J.  
  
"You will begin if you wish to continue working here, Mr. Yami." Dr. J told him sternly.  
  
Anubis wrapped his hands around the two guns and crushed them easily. With a smile, he leaned into Dr. J and said quietly. "Are you threatening me?"  
  
Dr. J, for the first time I've ever seen, was scared, looking into Anubis' dark eyes. "No."  
  
But, pain came with disobedience, so I learned with other teachers how to use the vile things. I was, I'm told, an excellent shot. Who cares? Anubis brought wooden swords to practice the next time he came to the practice field. I never felt so alive as we swung at each other and when he finally knocked me down he smiled down at me.  
  
"That was very good, Hiro. I had no idea you would take to the sword so well. We shall continue this."   
  
  
  
My small happiness died one morning when Dr. J came to my room and told me that Anubis would no longer be my teacher. He had a better instructor to teach me fighting. I wanted to ask what happened to Anubis, but that sort of question would never be tolerated. His cane would cause pain for a stupid question like that. It wasn't my business. I was only to obey.  
  
Dr. J left me in my room, the door, as always, locking behind him. I sat on the simple cot and wanted to cry, but didn't. Anubis had left me and my one hope had ended. He was the only light in my life. Crying was for the weak.  
  
Maybe that big job he was talking about had started and he had to leave. Still, he could have been polite and said good-bye. Maybe he didn't care enough, after all, he was just a trainer. A trainer who'd taken the drug out of me, who'd been nice to me, who'd given me the little sword that Dr. J had found and taken away. I thought he'd liked me.  
  
Still, he promised that he'd come and get me after his war was over. He promised he'd save me. I lay down on the bed. I wanted to cry, but I would be strong. I could wait. How long could it be?  
  
The over head lights flashed suddenly before going out entirely and my little room was filled with darkness. I have always disliked the darkness. Since I was very little, being alone in the dark has been one of my worst fears. But I can't go anywhere. Dr. J had told me to stay in the room and a little thing like fear was not reason enough to disobey. I closed my eyes tightly, but it changed nothing.   
  
"Wake up, boy." A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and I opened my eyes. Still, it was so dark I couldn't see anything. The voice was very familiar, though.  
  
"Anubis? Where are you? I can't see you."  
  
The large hand touched my face gently and I felt that his hand was covered in metal. "But I can see you, little Hiro. I have to go for a while. A war is about to start and I have to get ready." He was close enough that I could feel his warm breath on my ear.   
  
"Don't leave me." I whispered.  
  
"They think that I am weakening you." He laughed bitterly. "I have begun the foundations for a great warrior in you and they think you are weak. The fools don't know talent when they see it. All they want is a killing machine."  
  
I grabbed his hand, surprised at the hard metal covering. "Please take me with you!"   
  
He took his hand away. "I can, I'm sorry. This will be a terrible war, I expect. I don't want you to get involved yet. My master is not a nice person and would not allow me to bring you with me. He would order me to kill you."  
Anubis tucked me back under the thin covers and spoke again. "If you can, escape this place. They are not your friends here. You have told me about your memories of family, you must get back to them. If you can't, just remember, I will come back for you, Hiro."  
  
"Seiji."  
  
"What?"  
  
"My name is Seiji. Hiro is what they want my name to be. I am Date Seiji." It seemed very important that he know this. I'm not sure why. No one has called me Seiji in years.  
  
"I will remember."  
  
The lights came back on and I was alone in the room, but I smiled. Anubis wasn't afraid of the dark, so I wouldn't be, either. He promised he'd come back.  
  
  
  
  
Anubis never came back. There was no war that anyone told me about, not yet. First weeks, then months and then years dragged by, but Anubis never returned for me, never contacted me. I slowly realized that he'd lied. He left me with them. I hate Anubis. He promised. He promised and I hate him!  
  
  
  
  
For years I played along with them, I became the perfect soldier they wanted to create. When I was fifteen, they sent me on my first mission and I saw my opportunity to escape. With instructions to destroy an OZ convoy, I was sent out in a newly built Gundam along with the another boy. This other boy would take off from a different area and we weren't supposed to meet. It was the first taste of freedom I'd had in more than nine years.  
  
I blasted free of the base and felt nothing. I knew that I would not come back to the slavery, but I felt nothing. Shooting toward Earth, I saw five other rays of light and knew that there were others trained as pilots.   
  
I wasn't happy or sad or even scared. Not surprising, that's how I was trained to be. They had given me a mission, but it was not one I choose to obey. I have no master, I give my obedience to no one! I knew I had all the strength I needed to do this.  
  
We'd had instructions to separate once we hit Earth's atmosphere, and I did that gladly. I wonder if Heero is planning to escape? Once I had landed in a large forest on Earth, still in the cockpit of the ship, I looked at the large red self-destruct button. It was there in case of a failed mission and was to be used to kill myself and get rid of all evidence. Pity for them that they had trained me so well.  
  
It was easy to rewire the self-destruct to activate at a preset time. I had plenty of time to get out of the suit and get to a safe distance. The machine exploded magnificently, but I did not smile. Emotions are for the weak and I am not weak.  
  
I am Date Seiji.   
  
Of coarse, now I was alone in the wilderness and I have no where to go. Was there even a family to go back to? I had been gone so long, they probably didn't even remember me. If they did remember me, they wouldn't recognize me. Would they want me?   
  
I started walking, just wanting to get away from the wreckage before anyone came to investigate.  
  
I walked for hours, but thanks to my training, it really didn't affect me. I stopped by a river for a drink of water when I realized someone was standing behind me. Using sharp reflexes, I turned with my hands raised defensively, ready to fight. The gun is still at my side, but I still hate the thing. I would rather fight with my bare hands.  
  
But the person behind me didn't seem like a threat as he was crouched on all fours on the ground. He was near my own age and dressed in rages. His long hair was unkept and shaggy, hanging in his eyes and his smile was that of an innocent child.  
  
"Hello." He said, not seeming to care about what I must be doing in the middle of a forest. "I heard the noise and came to see if everything was all right." He moved forward toward me, still on all fours and seemed quite comfortable that way.  
  
I nodded slightly, not trusting him, but I didn't answer. The boy was the first person I'd ever seen my own age and I wondered if this was how all other human boys acted.   
  
He could well be an enemy. The boy's smile didn't fade, though, even when I didn't answer him. He walked on all fours to drink from the river. Drinking like an animal, putting his mouth down to the water and drink directly like that. When he was finished, he wiped the water from around his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled again.   
  
"How long have you been here?" He asked. "Was that your...your thing that made the thunder noise. I found a lot of stuff out there." He pointed to where I had left the remains of my ship.   
  
I nodded. This boy seemed familiar and I felt a tickle at the back of my mind, telling me that I should know him. His skin is dark and his eyes are bright blue, piercing and clear. I don't know him, I couldn't, but it was like the first time that I met Anubis. It felt like I should know him. His feet were bare, showing off thick calluses. Where did this boy come from?  
  
Slowly, he stood up, as if he weren't used to it. He stretched and cracked this arms and back. "My name's Ryo. Who are you? I've never seen anyone else out here except Kaosu. Would you like to come to my home?" Ryo spoke quickly, a puppy dog look on his face.   
  
A movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention. It was a large black and white animal. I think it's called a tiger. The creature looked at me with large brown eyes, not hesitating to sniff my hand and rub against my leg. It grumbled, walking to Ryo who made a noise suspiciously like a purr and hugged the animal happily, even nuzzling it.  
  
"Byakuen likes you. I've lived out here with him for a long time." Ryo told me. "So, what do you say? Will you come home with me? Kaosu will like to meet you, I'm sure. I almost feel like I met you before."  
  
I shook my head again. To dangerous to hang around here where people were sure to come investigating soon and I wanted them to think I had died in the explosion so they wouldn't come after me again.  
  
Ryo looked disappointed, but let it go. "Oh, well. Next time you come to this part of the forest, stop by and we'll go hunting together. All right?" Quick as lightening, Ryo went back to all fours and bound into the forest, like an animal born there, with the tiger behind him. I wondered for a second how long he'd lived with the tiger. How long had he been away from people if he were acting like an animal?  
  
I was alone again.  
  
It was for the best. So why was I so sad. Foolish! Sad about what? Sending Ryo on his way to save him? Rubbish. He might have been killed if he'd stayed near the destroyed ship. I had plenty of other things to do. The armor in my dream from so long ago was still fresh in my mind. I have to find the green armor.  
  
  
End Flashback-  
  
  
  
Ryo wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rested his cheek on my chest. "Poor Seiji. You should have told us long ago. I remember when we first met. You looked so sad and alone."  
  
YOU WERE SO BEAUTIFUL, SAVAGE. I couldn't help but run my fingers through his hair. RUNNING ON ALL FOURS LIKE THAT TIGER FRIEND OF YOURS.  
  
Ryo blushed sweetly and tried to get the conversation back to the subject. "Koi, please, don't let this eat at you. You know that we won't let them have you again, we won't let that Dr. J come here. We'll protect you."  
  
I planted a kiss on Ryo's forehead. I WANT HIM TO COME HERE.  
  
Ryo pulled away slightly, surprised. "What? Why?"  
  
UNFINISHED BUSINESS. IF I REMEMBER HIM PROPERLY, HE WILL BE HERE SOON. JUST DON'T INTERFER WITH WHAT I DO. ALL RIGHT?  
  
  
Continued... 


	8. Chapter 8   Little Panda

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
  
  
Ryo frowned at his love just a moment. "Well, if that's what you really want, Seiji. Just remember, you have to think about the others, too. Will this guy attack us?"  
  
I DOUBT IT. HE WILL COME TO INVESTIGATE IF HEERO DOESN'T CONTACT HIM SOON. DON'T LET ANY STRANGERS IN THE HOUSE UNLESS I SEE THEM FIRST, ALL RIGHT?  
  
  
SHU-  
  
  
"Damn!" Shu swore in Chinese. "Why does he always try to keep secrets?" He rarely spoke in his native language unless he was very angry. Seiji had a talent of getting Shu angrier faster than anyone else had ever been able to do.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Shu looked at the smaller Chinese boy who was currently a visitor. The same boy he'd been threatening to kill just a short while ago. Chang Wufei. Nice guy when he wasn't being a jerk and it might be nice to talk to someone in a civilized language for once.  
  
"Seiji." Shu replied. "He thinks he should deal with everything alone and won't let anyone help!" Shu stood up, not caring that the guests and his friends were staring at him, unable to understand a word he said, except for Wufei who just watched him calmly. "He just told Ryo what it is about Dr. J that upsets him, but he won't tell the rest of us!" Shu was furious with his pale friend. "He blacked us out!"   
  
"What does that mean?" Wufei asked. "Blacked you out?"  
  
Shu tried to think of a way to explain, but it was difficult to get it into words when the reality was so incredibly simply. "Well, he...he sort of put up a curtain over the thoughts he didn't want us to see and hung a sign on the curtain that said, Do Not Enter. We can go passed the curtain, but we don't."  
  
"If you're so curious, though," Wufei said. "Why don't you just go in his mind and find out?"  
  
Shu stopped pacing. "Are you nuts? That would be the rudest thing, not to mention the fact that Seiji would KILL me! The whole point is that I could do that, just barge in, but then no one would trust me ever again. It's a privacy thing. We don't go wandering around in each others minds without permission."  
  
Wufei snorted. "Keeping secrets that effect a teams performance will only hurt the team. You must make him see reason."  
  
Shu flopped down on the couch next to Wufei. "Thanks for the advice, but no one makes Seiji do anything." He paused. "Well, with the possible exception of Ryo, but that's an entirely different matter."  
  
"It is your business, Xiu." Wufei shrugged.  
  
Shu smiled, maybe he could like the arrogant little prick after all. "It's not often I hear my real name anymore. My friends are great, but they can't pronounce Chinese for the life of them!"  
  
Wufei nodded, understandingly. "You should hear Duo trying to speak Chinese. An American with a Japanese accent and he mangles Chinese horribly."  
  
Shu laughed loudly. "Hee, hee. I tried to teach them all how to speak Chinese once. It was a disaster."  
  
The two met eyes and slowly, a smile spread across Wufei's face.   
  
"Hey, Shu?" Shin, who couldn't speak Chinese, asked. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Shu shook his head. "Nothing, buddy." IT'S JUST NICE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO TALKS MY LANGUAGE AGAIN.  
  
A sudden beeping got our attention and everyone looked at Duo. He blinked and looked down at himself, patting various pockets in his black outfit, obviously trying to find something. Finally, he pulled out a tiny phone and opened it. "Hello?" He paused and handed it to Heero who was still tragically staring at the remains of his phone. "It's for you, Heero. Its him."  
  
Heero wordlessly took the phone. -Heero? Where are you? - Dr. J asked urgently.  
  
"At the Yagiyu estate. This is the place you said there was the massive power reading earlier and you wanted us to investigate."  
  
-Whoever spoke on your phone earlier is a threat, Heero. He knows me, and he definitely shouldn't. I want him eliminated. -  
  
Heero paused. He really didn't think he should kill Seiji. There was something wrong about killing Seiji. Still, an order was an order. "Mission accepted." Without waiting for a reply, Heero hung up and handed the phone back to Duo. Duo looked at him eagerly.  
  
"Mission? What mission? Where are you going? Can I come, too?" His smile was wide with excitement and Duo was practically jumping up and down for the chance to fight.  
  
Heero didn't answer. Seiji's friends were here and they might get in the way. Heero would bide his time until Seiji had to die. Still, Seiji had done nothing wrong that he could see. How did he know Dr. J, anyway?  
  
The room was quiet for a moment before Ryo and Seiji walked in. Seiji, as usual, said nothing, choosing to stand near the door and stare at Heero. Duo was getting tired of people staring at his koibito and moved a little closer to Heero. Seiji and Heero didn't seem to notice, but kept icy glares on each other.  
  
Giving up, Duo thought to himself, 'Well, at least I know I have the sexiest koi! No one can keep their eyes off him'.   
  
Shu stood up and went to Seiji. "Come on, man. Tell me what's going on. Please?" Seiji ignored his friend, but Wufei snorted.  
  
"Real men don't beg for anything!" He declared. "Only the weak beg!"  
  
Shu, entirely forgetting about Seiji, turned on Wufei. "Are you calling me weak? You scrawny brat!" He completely forgot that ten seconds ago they were having a very civilized conversation.  
  
Wufei, not the least intimidated by Shu's greater size stood up to him. "Yes, I am calling you weak. Weak, fat, lazy, and stupid!" Wufei also forgot that they were starting to act like friends. There was something nagging at the back of his mind about Xiu.  
  
The two growled at each other.  
  
Shin laughed. "Take it outside, lovebirds." He told them, standing up.  
  
Shu blushed and Wufei looked confused. "What? We most certainly are not!"  
  
"Yeah," Shu agreed. "It's nothing like that!"  
  
"Whatever you say. I'm going swimming." Shin certainly didn't want to get involved in the little spat that was developing between the two. He, and everyone else, could see that something was going on between the two, but no one would do anything. Better not to get involved with other people's love lives.  
  
Quarte looked at Shin. "Swimming? But it's the middle of the night!"  
  
Shin smiled happily. "Yes. The water is so peaceful at night. I'll be back...sometime."  
  
Touma shook his head. "Don't bother, Quarte. He's not coming back until he's gotten himself waterlogged."  
  
Nasutei cleared her throat and everyone looked at her. Sh'ten was still standing protectively near her and was silent, just watching. "It is getting late, as Quarte said. Would you all like to stay the night?"  
  
Wufei was impressed with her generosity. "Are you sure you have enough room?"  
  
She thought a minute. "Yes, but we'll have to bunk up together."  
  
Feeling a bit naughty, Duo raised his hand and smiled happily. "I'll share with you, Nasutei!"  
  
Sh'ten snarled and raised his staff. With one violent movement, he shoved the thin staff through the wall, causing spider webs to shoot across the wall and a gentle jingle of the rings. The lights flickered as he'd touched a few electricity wires and Duo gulped, lowering his hand.  
  
Sh'ten pulled his staff out of the wall, letting dust settle on the floor. "No one will share with Nasutei-Domo." He told them all coldly.  
  
It was all arranged. Sh'ten would sleep on the couch, as he usually did. Ryo and Seiji would share, of coarse. Touma would share with Shin, of coarse. Duo eagerly volunteered to share with Heero, who was still glaring at Seiji, who watched the Gundam pilot warily. Trowa and Quarte wanted to share which just left Shu and Wufei. The two looked at each other as if not sure how this was going to work out.  
  
A few minutes later, with borrowed blankets under one arm, Wufei stared in abject horror at Shu's room. There was three feet of filth on the floor. The bed was only barely visible under the piles of clothes and half-eaten food. There were comic books scattered everywhere and posters of cartoons on the walls.  
  
"Dear Nataku, deliver me from this Hell." Wufei whispered reverently.   
  
Shu waded through his belongings and sat on the bed. "You want the floor or the bed?"  
  
Wufei looked at the floor and saw things crawling under all the mess. I want to leave, was what he wanted to say, but that was a cowardly thought. The others were staying, why would he run away?  
  
"The bed." Wufei said.  
  
With a sweep of his massive arms, Shu pushed all his things off his bed, making another pile at the foot of the bed. The sheets underneath were old and smelled odd.  
  
"Get up." Wufei couldn't stand it anymore. "Get up and take the filthy sheets off that bed!"  
  
Shu, surprised, just blinked at him.  
  
"I refuse to sleep in that mess! We will change the sheets!"  
  
"Whatever you want, Little Panda." Shu smiled at him, amused. Wufei reminded him a little of a mouthy Seiji.  
  
Wufei threw his armful of blankets at Shu. "I am not a Little Panda."  
  
This only made Shu's smile grow. "You're so cute when you're angry, Little Panda."  
  
Wufei screamed.  
  
  
  
  
Nether Realms-  
  
  
  
  
Kayura, a mystic beauty with incredibly long black hair was frowning at the blue fire in front of her. The pain lancing through her head was unbearable. How was she supposed to find the Samurai Troopers, let alone the new ones she had seen in the dream. The girl, she only looked about eighteen, put a hand to her head. She was tired so often lately and that was not good. If Emperor Arago decided she was no longer useful, then she would be replaced by one of those incompetent Ma-Sho. They were little better than the foot soldiers and had no right to rise to distinction. The girl snarled at the thought.   
  
Arrr! The pain sent her to her knees and her vision blurred for a moment.  
  
Yes, there was no doubt about it. She had held this form for to long and it was tiring her. She would have to give the child's body a rest. Sitting on the floor, cross-legged, Kayura closed her eyes and let her true nature leave the girl's body.  
  
Peering in the doorway was a man who watched carefully with his one good eye. In the darkness, one could only just see the man's long waves of white hair and the sparkle of his eye. Rajura, the Gen Ma-Sho.  
  
He watched as a shimmering image appeared over Kayura's head and became clearer. Badamon. Rajura hated the creature with all his soul, but there was very little he could do about this situation. Badamon, once in his natural form of a spirit, faded away, leaving Kayura's body alone. Rajura waited until the transformation was complete. Slowly, the young woman's body began changing. Her hair grew shorter and she grew younger. Years peeled away from her until there was only the original child left.  
  
As soon as he heard her crying, Rajura ran into the room. "Kay? Are you all right?"  
  
The twelve-year-old looked up at him with wide innocent eyes. "Oniisan? My head hurts. I'm tired." She let tears run down her face freely and held out her arms to Rajura.  
  
He quickly picked her up and held her tenderly. "Shhh. Don't worry, Kay. I'm sure you just need some sleep." He cuddled her for a minute before heading back to her chambers. Kay, the child form of Kayura, lived in the same hall as the Ma-Sho all did. They all wanted to be close in case their sweet little sister needed them.   
  
Rajura, oldest of the Ma-Sho, had always felt instinctively protective of his younger brothers when they'd come to serve Emperor Arago. When Kay had joined them though, the protective urge magnified several hundred times. Fortunately, they all felt the same way. Kay was the darling baby sister they'd always wanted. She was the one thing that made living like this, cut off from civilization, bearable. In his arms, she fell fast asleep.  
  
Rajura stoked her dark hair. He hated it when Badamon took over Kay. He had even volunteered to do it himself, be host for Badamon, but Emperor Arago insisted that he was needed to fight on the front lines. Kayura was a child and utterly useless in a battle. However, when possessed by the spirit of Badamon, she was formidable.   
  
"Hey, is Kay all right?" Naaza stuck his head out of his room in time to see Rajura walk passed. Depositing his snake, Fuzzy, around his neck, Naaza walked out to join him.  
  
"Get the door, will you?" Rajura said. "No, she's not all right. This is starting to effect her badly. She has a headache and is complaining that she's tired. I don't like this, Naaza. I don't like this at all!" That was an understatement. It didn't help that they all knew this was their fault. If they'd been able to capture those Others earlier, Badamon wouldn't have been called in to hunt for them.  
  
And he wouldn't have used Kay's body.  
  
Rajura set Kay down on the bed inside. It was a little girl's room, no mistake in that. The floor was littered with dolls and clothes. She had several stuffed animals and books on the small shelf. Stepping over the stuff to get to the bed, Rajura muttered to Naaza. "I thought you told her to clean up this mess?"  
  
"I did. You know how she is. In one ear and out the other. Besides, she's a pack rat, just like Sh'ten." Naaza pulled back the blankets and let Rajura set the girl down before they covered her back up. Naaza grew serious. "This has to stop. She can't keep going on like this. It's going to kill her."  
  
Rajura nodded solemnly. They left the room to give Kay some time to sleep and to find Anubis. He could usually be found in his room. Naaza knocked on the door, but no one answered.  
  
"Anubis, are you in there?" Rajura called. Still, no answer.  
  
Naaza took a deep breath. "I guess we have to open the door." He said faintly, as if the thought sickened him. Slowly, he pushed open the door and shivered at the cold blast of wind the erupted from the dark room.   
  
Two of the most feared warriors in the universe peeked inside, unwilling to go any further inside. "Anubis?"  
  
Teeth snapped at them and they only just got the door closed before Anubis' wolf could get out. With the animal snapping and growling behind the thick wooden door, the Naaza and Rajura panted with relief. "I wish he'd get that thing neutered!" Naaza commented. Anubis' pet, Junior, scared the slithers out of him and Naaza didn't even try to hide it.  
  
"Junior gets neutered the same day you do." Anubis was standing in the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest and he looked at them with a flat glare. "I've told you not to go in there."  
  
Rajura tried to compose himself. "We need to think of some solution for Kay. This whole possession thing is killing her. I think that if we fetch one of the other armor bearers then maybe Badamon will leave Kay alone."  
  
The other two nodded. "But which one? Sh'ten will probably kill himself before he lets himself be possessed." Anubis said. "The Troopers, well, I'd rather not do that to fellow warriors. What about those new ones? The ones we were supposed to capture."  
  
Naaza nodded. "It's a good idea. All we need is to have them all here and then Badamon would take turns using each of them. None of them would get worn out and since they're older than Kay, it should be easier for them withstand it."  
  
Rajura looked out at the Nether Realms. "I don't like doing this at all, you know. It feels like I'm betraying brothers to that spirit. But, it's either them or Kay. Let's go."  
  
The three vanished from the halls of the Nether Realms.  
  
  
  
They reappeared in full armor outside the mansion where all the Troopers and the Others were staying. "I'm going to scout around." Rajura told them. "Remember, we only need one of them. Be careful to take the first one you see, or the Troopers may come and rescue them. They probably know we're here all ready."  
  
Anubis and Naaza rolled their eyes at each other. "Ever notice that he treats us like children?" Naaza asked.  
  
"Yes, I have. It's as if he thinks we don't know all this." Anubis answered. Then he looked at Rajura. "May we go now, mother?"  
  
Rajura didn't deign to answer and started walking around the house. The others were in the home of the girl, Nasutei, when Rajura felt the presence of one of the Trooper Children. They were just children, really. Barely a few months at war and they thought they knew everything.  
  
This one was in the lake, so it had to be Suiko. Rajura knew that several of the Troopers floated like rocks, Kongo and Tenku to be exact. Recca would probably never be caught dead in water, if he could help it. It just went against his element. As for Korin, well, Rajura simply couldn't imagine that one laughing while he splashed in the water. The only one of them completely at ease with the water would be Suiko.  
  
It hadn't been in the plan to get one of the Troopers, they were really after the untrained new ones, but if he could get one of the armors, then that was a bonus.  
  
He spotted Suiko quickly, following the laughter it wasn't difficult. The auburn haired boy was standing waist deep in the water and suddenly plunged under entirely. He stayed down for probably ten minutes before coming up laughing again. Such a gentle nature would suffer in the Dynasty.  
  
Rajura stifled that thought. It was for the best if all the armors were together and that included Suiko, the water margin. He could be sheltered from some of the harsher aspects of life in the Nether Realms or they could toughen him up. Either way, Suiko would survive and it was his destiny to be with his brothers in the Nether Realms.  
  
Suiko started to come out of the water and in the moon light, the water shone off his body like silver. Rajura almost started drooling at the sight of that lithe, well muscled body as he walked onto the shore. Completely naked.   
  
Wow.  
  
Rajura slapped himself mentally. 'Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! Suiko is a child! He's barely sixteen! I will NOT think of him as a sex toy!'  
  
Once he'd gotten himself under control, or as much as he was going to be able to, Rajura prepared to start the battle as he knew the young warrior would not go easily. Then he stopped to watch Suiko dry himself. Mmmmmmmm. Nice.   
  
'Bad thoughts! Get back to work!' Shaking himself this time, Rajura waited until Suiko had wrapped himself in a towel, Rajura pounced out of the bushes.   
  
Suiko was so startled, he dropped his towel and Rajura almost fainted. Rajura noticed his nose was bleeding all over his armor. Damn! How embarrassing!  
  
"What do you want!?" Suiko demanded, not bothering to pick up his towel, least Rajura attack when he wasn't looking. Rajura, sternly keeping his eyes on Suiko's face, said though his facemask, "I've come for you, Suiko."  
  
Suiko blushed modestly and his eyes got real wide. "You...you don't mean..." He put his hands protectively over his body.  
  
Seeing where his thoughts were going, Rajura reassured him. "No! Of coarse not! I'm taking you prisoner, not looking for sex." Not tonight, anyway. He thought.  
  
In Rajura's mind Naaza snickered, TRY NOT TO DROOL, RAJURA. IT'S NOT DIGNIFIED.  
  
I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GET THE ONES IN THE HOUSE. Rajura told him, irritated at the interruption.   
  
YOU DID, BUT THIS IS MORE FUN. GO ON, HE'S GOING TO GET AWAY.  
  
Indeed, Suiko was running back to the water and Rajura knew that if the boy got in the water, then he would gain much power.   
  
"WEB OF DECEPTION!" The stick threads of his attack spun out and snared up Suiko's feet, making him fall flat on his face. The webs climbed up Suiko's legs and the child warrior fought as hard as he could.  
  
"Get away from me!" He yelled.  
  
Rajura knew he had only moments before the other Troopers came to the rescue as Naaza and Anubis alerted him that they'd all woken up and were attacking. He needed to finish this.  
  
Rajura knelt down. "Where is your armor, Suiko?" He put a hand on Suiko's bare neck. "Why don't you call it?"  
  
With one free hand, Suiko swung at Rajura, but it was in vain. Rajura easily dodged away. Unfortunately, he didn't see Suiko's other hand was filled with sand and Suiko threw it all in Rajura's eyes.  
  
The pain wasn't great, but it was enough to break his concentration and the illusion of webs vanished, allowing Suiko to get to his feet and run, not to the water, but to the clothes he'd abandoned on the beach. He desperately grabbed his pants and pulled out the glowing kanji ball. Light flared and Suiko was in his armor. Pity to cover that body.  
  
The battle began in earnest with Rajura on the attack and Suiko defending, wondering where his friends were.  
  
  
  
Shin-  
  
  
  
Shin felt his power draining. Rajura kept attacking ruthlessly and Shin was so tired. He used his Yari as a part of his body, but it wasn't enough this time.  
  
"Give up, Suiko!" Rajura mocked, using his nun chucks to batter Shin's head. "You don't have the age or training to defeat me!"  
  
Shin raised his Yari, as if he could only get off one decent shot. "Chouryuu Ha! (Super Wave Smasher!)" He screamed, letting out a torrent of water blasting out of the trident-like weapon. It was like seeing a waterspout on land; a tornado made of water.   
  
He missed by mere inches; Rajura vanished before his eyes. The forest was eerily quiet and Shin looked carefully around. It can't be that easy, he thought to himself. Rajura couldn't be that easy to beat.   
  
A great force slammed him in the back, sending him crashing through a tree only to be stopped by a large rock. Shin fell limp to the Earth before blacking out.  
  
  
Rajura-  
  
  
Rajura smiled at the sight of the smallest trooper, bleeding from a head wound. Typical! These kids had no decent training. Why, if he'd been the boy's trainer...Rajura paused, thinking on this. Yes, perhaps Emperor Arago would give the trooper children to him after they'd been reeducated. Once they saw the wisdom of serving the Dynasty, they would likely make worthy students.  
  
The Ma-So Gen congratulated himself on this brilliant idea. After all, anyone who could wear the armor was to valuable to kill. Then they could all live together.   
  
Rajura was especially looking forward to having Kongo living in the same house with him. He almost broke into a sweat before getting his mind off the sexiest Trooper (at least to his mind). Wait a minute! Rajura stopped himself. What was he doing? First Suiko and now Kongo? Since when did he start lusting over enemies? Back to business.  
  
Gen Ma-Sho leaned down to find the kanji ball that would contain the armor of Suiko until he could bring it back to Arago. This was the closest any of them had ever gotten to getting the armor and he was proud to be the first to succeed.  
  
He could hear noises from the large house and Anubis shouted in his mind. HURRY IT UP, OLD MAN! THEY'RE BREAKING THROUGH, UNLESS YOU WANT US TO TRY AND HURT THEM.  
  
I'M DONE, LET ME GRAB THE...  
  
Rajura's thoughts faded as he was surprised to see Suiko glowed blue and the armor separated from the boy, leaving him, once again, naked.  
  
The armor stood before them for a minute while Rajura gaped. He wasn't expecting that! With the Yari in its gauntlet hand, it glowed blue again, turned into the kanji ball and flew away.  
  
Rajura raised and eyebrow. Interesting. Seemed that Suiko didn't want to go with him. Still, no sense in wasting an armor bearer. Rajura leaned down and easily picked up the light boy. He would have to learn his new brother's name, Rajura realized. Couldn't keep calling him Suiko forever.  
  
  
  
Wufei-  
  
  
  
Wufei lay awake in the darkness, unable to sleep. This was harder than he thought it would be, sleeping in the same bed with another guy. He just couldn't understand what the hard part was, though. He'd slept with Duo when they were on a mission and even with Heero on occasion. Space was limited, so if they needed to share a bed, then it was done. (Never sex, just sleeping) He'd never felt so nervous, though.  
  
Wufei was strong. He was an honorable warrior who'd survived many horrible battles. He had no reason to be afraid of being in the same bed as another guy. Shu wasn't even doing anything. As far as Wufei could tell, Shu had fallen asleep long ago. But the bed was small and he could feel Shu's leg against his own.  
  
Shu rolled over in his sleep and draped a heavy arm over Wufei's chest.  
  
Wufei's heart started pounding. This couldn't be happening! Wufei thought to himself. 'I am not gay! I am not gay! Having this muscle headed ox's arm on me does not turn me on!'  
  
Shu's arm tightened around Wufei and Shu pulled Wufei in closer to him. Wufei nearly panicked at the unexpected hug. He started to shake and pull away.  
  
"Hush." Apparently, Shu wasn't as asleep as Wufei had thought. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Little Panda. How did you get involved with those Gundam things, anyway?" Shu's breath was warm on Wufei's ear.  
  
Wufei forced himself to calm down and stop fighting. Shu was not going to hurt him. "My wife died fighting in a battle I should have been in. It should have been me in her place, but I was too foolish. She died for me." Just thinking about dearest Nataku made Wufei start to cry. It was dark so no one would see, and he couldn't stop it, anyway.  
  
Shu's arm tightened again. "Don't cry, little Panda. I'm sorry, I should learn not to open my big mouth." His broad hand started to rub Wufei's arm comfortingly.  
  
"I fight with Shen Long to keep the innocent and the weak away from battle. It shouldn't...it's not right..." Wufei couldn't talk any more, his mind flooded with memories of his sweet wife. His tears started to dissolve into noisy sobs. He started to stand up, pulling away from Shu. "I need to be alone."  
  
Shu pulled Wufei back onto the bed and lay him down. "I think you've been alone to long. Go to sleep, Little Panda." A blanket was pulled over Wufei and he felt Shu tuck him in securely. "Go to sleep. I won't let anyone hurt you."  
  
Strangely, Wufei let Shu hold him while he cried himself out.  
  
  
Shu-  
  
  
Shu realized Wufei was asleep when the heart breaking sobs finally died away and his breathing grew steadier. The room was still in pitch darkness, so Shu couldn't see Wufei. Instead, he reached a hand over Wufei's shoulder and gently touched his face. It was still wet with tears.  
  
Aw, Crap! Why did he have to feel so much pain? Poor Wufei.  
  
Shu spooned himself against Wufei's much smaller body, again putting an arm around him.   
  
For all his tough show and gruff attitude, Shu knew Wufei wasn't as hard as he pretended to be. Wufei was lonely. He was lonely and scared of letting anyone near him for fear that they'd be taken away like his wife was. Shu was also willing to bet that Wufei wanted desperately to find someone to love. Someone strong enough that he wouldn't have to protect them.  
  
Shu made a decision. As long as Wufei needed him, he'd stay with him.  
  
HELP! MA-SHO ATTACK! Shu sat bolt up right in bed and cursed loudly. Shin! He was still down at the water, right? Shu grabbed his kanji orb and called his armor without hesitation and that was how Wufei woke up, seeing Shu with his naginata in one hand and heading out the bedroom door.  
  
"Stay here, Wufei." Shu told him. "You'll be safer if you stay out of sight."  
  
  
  
Quarte-  
  
  
  
There was a shout from down the hall and I head someone yell, "Move it!" Trowa was all ready at the door when Quarte opened his eyes and realized something was wrong. He jumped out of bed and followed Trowa out into the hall where the rest of the Gundam Pilots were looking around, wondering what was happening. The Troopers all ran passed us in the heavy armor and Sh'ten was there, looking grim and he gave them serious looks. "We are under attack. It would be best for you to hide somewhere safe."  
  
Heero and Duo were also up, wondering what had happened and Wufei was scowling, as usual. "Shu jumped out of bed and started swearing a minute ago. He said Shin was in danger."  
  
Duo grinned. "Wufei, what were you doing in Shu's bed?"  
  
Wufei fixed him with a death glare. "I was sleeping."  
  
Duo winked at him. "Yeah. Sure you were."  
  
"I swear I'm going to kill you, Maxwell."  
  
There was a loud crash and the house was shaking, making pictures fall off the walls. "Who's attacking?" Quarte asked over the din. "What's going on?"  
  
Sh'ten steadied Quarte with a hand on his shoulder. "My brothers are attacking and they are focusing on Shin. Rajura has him trapped down by the lake."   
  
Quarte looked over the banister railing to the living room below. He saw nothing but a large hole in the wall. "Where did they go?" He looked to Sh'ten, but the red haired priest jumped over the banister and to the first floor of the house.  
Sh'ten ran out the hole in the side of the house and, as they climbed down the mangled stairs, Quarte and Trowa could hear from outside,  
  
"Shin's under attack! Let's get going." That was Ryo's voice and he sounded both worried and angry. They came out just in time to see the four Troopers running toward the lake.  
  
Quarte looked at Trowa and knew what he was supposed to do.  
  
Byakuen, instead of following at Ryo's feet as he usually did, paused to nudge Quarte behind the legs, urging him to follow.  
  
"You want me to go, too?" Quarte asked the tiger. He felt a bit silly as tiger's couldn't possibly understand, but this one nudged him again toward the door. Quarte did as the tiger wanted and started after the Troopers.   
  
Trowa grabbed his arm as he passed. "Where are you going, Quarte? This is not our battle."  
  
His other sense was tingling at him and Quarte knew he had to obey it. "I have to go. There's something I need to do." Quarte broke away from Trowa and ran toward the lake to find that everyone had stopped and stared with dismay. "What's wrong?" Quarte asked.  
  
Ryo swallowed hard and moved to the side and Quarte saw what they were all staring at. It was a small marble that was glowing blue and it hung in mid air and no one seemed to want to touch it. Ryo was practically crying. "Shin's fallen." He wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand. "I think he's still alive, but he's hurt enough the armor decided to find another bearer."  
  
Quarte stepped forward, feeling a force calling to him. He had to touch that little ball. It was his. In the marble there was a tiny kanji, the symbol of faith. As they all watched it, the symbol changed to compassion and Quarte's forehead was itching again. He didn't have time to raise a hand to scratch it when the little marble suddenly flew at him and struck him right in the itching spot.  
  
He fell with a cry, landing on his butt. When he opened his eyes, the marble rolled off his forehead and onto the ground. Quarte stared at it and there was tense silence. Everyone was staring down at him. "Do you accept the armor, Quarte?" Touma asked softly.  
  
Accept it? Another war to fight? Who would want that? Still, it called to him. A soft voice was in his mind.  
  
"Don't listen to it, Quarte." Ryo told him. "You have to decide on your own. Don't let it make any decisions for you or it will start to take you over. This is your choice, Quarte. Not it's."  
  
Quarte did his best to clear his mind, driving away the whispering influence. They were all in danger and they needed all the armor to save themselves. He couldn't just let everyone die. "Only until we find Shin." Quarte looked up at the other armored warriors. "Then I want to give it back to him."  
  
"If we find him." Touma snapped. "If we find him then the armor will go back to him on it's own. Shin is the rightful bearer, you are just a fill in."   
  
Quarte touched the kanji ball and felt the tingle fill his body. "What do I do with this?"  
  
"Your power up words are Armor of Suiko. Tao Shin." Shu told Quarte.  
  
"Armor of Suiko! Tao Shin!" The words felt right, as if he'd been born for this.  
  
Quarte was suddenly in a lot of blue armor and had a weapon in his hand. He looked down at himself, amazed. He'd never felt anything like that before. The armor was massive, but didn't weigh anything.  
  
HOW DO YOU FEEL? That was Ryo's voice in his head.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To be continued 


	9. Chapter 9   Kikoutei

CHAPTER NINE  
  
  
  
Quarte-   
  
  
  
HOW ARE YOU FEELING? Ryo asked in Quarte's mind. Quarte was startled at the sensation and seeing Ryo talk without opening his mouth, but replied out loud,   
  
"I'm fine. What's happening?" He looked down at himself in amazement. The armor was lighter than it looked and, in fact, felt completely weightless. How had Ryo done that? Spoken without actually talking?   
  
Ryo turned away from him, without answering, and kept walking to where they all thought the attack had taken place. Ryo walked with grim determination, his swords still held ready in his hands and all of the Troopers walking silently behind him.  
  
Trowa touched Quarte's arm. "Are you really all right?" He looked very worried for his friend, his eyes narrowed as he examined Quarte's armored form.  
  
Quarte looked at Trowa. "I feel great, but something's different. I can hear Ryo's thoughts in my head. Its very odd, like they're all in my head now. I know them all." Quarte couldn't help but stare at the Troopers as he heard their silent conversation.  
  
Touma's voice was angry and worried. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? He asked the others.   
  
Seiji's voice reached out to Touma, and Quarte could feel a soothing caress touch Touma's mind, calming him. WE WILL DO ANYTHING WE HAVE TO IN ORDER TO GET SHIN BACK. WE WILL NOT ABANDON HIM.  
  
BUT...Shu's voice stammered with fear and Quarte knew without asking that Shin was Shu's best friend. BUT WHAT IF HE'S DEAD?  
  
Touma turned on Shu harshly. DON'T SAY THAT! HE'S NOT DEAD! HE'S NOT!  
  
Quarte could only call it a collective mind, what the Troopers shared. A great many of their thoughts and emotions were all shared and in open sight for any of the others who looked. In fact, Quarte couldn't help but to look. There was no way to turn away from it, the savage fury that Ryo felt or the dark pain of Touma's fear for his love. Shu was trying not to give up hope for his oldest friend, Quarte saw for an instant Shu as a child being helped with his homework by a little Shin. Seiji, though, was still a mystery.  
  
Quarte knew them all, instantly. He saw a child Duo through Ryo's eyes, saw a trusted friend. He saw Ryo, years later, running on all fours beside a giant tiger and knew the tiger was Byakuen, a friend and the creature that taught Ryo how to hunt and how to act like an animal.  
  
He saw Shu's huge family, the most important thing in the world to him. He saw Shu meeting Touma at a homeless shelter where Shu was volunteering and Touma was waiting for some food and warm bed. Touma who had been so brutally abused, he'd had no choice but to run away from home and take his chances on the streets.  
  
He also saw Seiji, but there were no memories, just a few feelings, showing Quarte that he was pleased to have Quarte in the family and that he was generally unhappy with the attacks. Nothing of substance, though. Seiji seemed better controlled than his friends, leaving few feelings out in sight. Most were kept behind what looked like a black curtain and Quarte felt as though he should stay away from that curtain. Threats were implied if he went to close to the black curtain.  
  
Seiji looked over his shoulder at Quarte who was following behind, closer to his friends, the pilots. Seiji thoughts were directed at Quarte. DON'T BE AFRAID. WE'LL ALL HELP YOU AND WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD GETTING THE ARMOR IS AT FIRST.  
  
"Thanks." Quarte said quietly.  
  
WHY DON'T YOU WALK WITH US? Seiji invited. YOU ARE ONE OF US, NOW. YOU BELONG WITH US, BROTHER. He paused briefly and held out a hand, welcoming Quarte to be with them.  
  
Quarte felt that Seiji was right. Perhaps it was the soft, soothing voice, but Seiji was convincing and sounded very sure of himself. Quarte also felt very sure of the love coming from the Troopers. Though they were utmost concerned about the missing Shin, he also knew that they loved him. Why? They hardly knew him more than a few hours.  
  
BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE OF US. Shu told him, not bothering to turn around. SEIJI JUST TOLD YOU, YOU'RE OUR BROTHER NOW.  
  
Quarte didn't think it could be that simple, but they all seemed to think it was. Still, why...  
  
"Look, just shut up will you?!" Touma rounded on Quarte with hate in his eyes, making Quarte step back a pace, shocked. "Thinking so chaotic that I can't concentrate! Get out of here if you can't help!"  
  
Seiji took Touma's arm and said something quietly, shielding his thoughts. Touma snarled back, "He's not going to be one of us for long, anyway! Shin will take his armor back just as soon as we find him! That kid's no warrior and he's no replacement for Shin!"  
  
Shu touched Quarte's mind. DON'T LET IT BOTHER YOU. TOUMA'S WORRIED ABOUT SHIN, HE DOESN'T REALLY HATE YOU. HE HATES THE THOUGHT THAT SHIN MIGHT BE...GONE.  
  
They continued walking and Quarte didn't see the Wufei or Duo looking at him worriedly, especially at Touma's outburst. He didn't see Trowa's sad expression and no one noticed that Heero wasn't with them.  
  
  
  
  
It was only a short walk before they were at the site of the attack. There was no one in sight anymore and everyone instantly went to a large rock that was stained with blood. All the Troopers stared at it, horrified before Shu started to cry and Touma grabbed Seiji's arm for support. Ryo was growling. Not just a little human imitation of a growl, but a deep-throated tiger's growl, his eyes were burning and he clenched his hands around the swords in his hands.  
  
Seeing their grief, Quarte wanted to help. He stepped forward, passed them and held his hand up to the still wet stone. The bearer of Suiko closed his eyes and opened his other senses. He let his mind expand with the thoughts of the last people who'd been here and saw the battle as it had happened. Rajura's point of view and Shin's as they started the battle and up to the point of Rajura throwing Shin over his shoulder and vanishing, going back to wherever he'd come from.  
  
WHAT WAS THAT? Ryo's voice asked in Quarte's head.  
  
Quarte looked at Seiji and saw that he wasn't the only one who'd seen it. All the Troopers were looking at him, not with fear, but with respect. Seiji asked him, HOW DID YOU DO THAT, QUARTE?  
  
"Well, I can do odd things sometimes. I'm not sure how it happens, but sometimes I can see things or feel other people's emotions." He knew it was vague and in truth, he really didn't understand it himself.   
  
Seiji however, almost smiled. IT SEEMS YOU ARE INDEED THE CORRECT CHOICE FOR SUIKO. SHIN WAS VERY MUCH LIKE YOU, VERY SENSITIVE AND OPEN TO OTHERS EMOTIONS.  
  
Touma added in, still not happy with Quarte taking Shin's armor. HE'S STILL GOTTA LEARN TO SHIELD HIMSELF. SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH SEEING RAJURA SUDDENLY FIGHTING SHIN LIKE THAT.  
  
Seiji reassured him, I'LL TEACH HIM.  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
At the sight of the bloodied rock, Ryo started to shake and was quite aware he was growling. No doubt about what had happened, especially after seeing what Quarte had shown them. The only question was whether or not Shin was still alive. Just because he was captured, didn't mean he was gone, after all.   
  
The part of Shin that had been constantly in the collective part of the mind was gone, replaced by a similar, yet incredibly different Quarte.  
  
Ryo glanced over at Quarte, still looking stunned in the Suiko armor. Seiji was with Quarte now, trying to reassure him, along with the newly arrived pilots, that everything would be all right.  
  
"It's not your fault, Ryo."  
  
Ryo continued to stare at the blood stained rock. "Oh, yes it is, Duo. This is entirely my fault."  
  
Duo tried to touch Ryo's arm, but his anger was affecting his armor, making it very hot. "Look, we were attacked and those cowards caught Shin alone. Its their fault, not yours."  
  
Ryo's temper and stress finally caused him to crack and he turned on Duo fiercely. "What would you know about it?! I'm supposed to protect them! I'm supposed to take care of them! We were attacked only this morning and any decent leader would have had the sense to make sure no one went out alone. Did I think of that? NO! I was to busy to think of Shin's safety. I let him wander off when I should have known..."  
  
WHACK!!!  
  
Ryo was suddenly on the ground with Touma standing over him, his fist still raised. Ryo rubbed the cheek Touma had punched and Seiji was all ready in between them, looking threateningly at Touma. YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A VERY, VERY GOOD REASON FOR HITTING MY RYO, TOUMA.   
  
LET ME TALK TO HIM, SEIJI, ALONE.  
  
Seiji raised a questioning eyebrow.  
  
Touma rolled his eyes. I WON'T HURT HIM, SEIJI. THAT WAS JUST A LOVE-TAP AND YOU KNOW IT. HE NEEDS TO GET IN CONTROL, NOW, AND YOUR CODDLING HIM WON'T HELP. MY KOI IS KIDNAPPED AND MAYBE DEAD! Tears started to flow down Touma's cheeks. WE NEED RYO, HE CAN'T FALL APART NOW.  
  
"Where's Heero?" Duo asked suddenly getting everyone's attention. "Didn't he come down with us?" They all looked around, but there was no Heero.  
  
THE HOUSE. Was the shared thought, and all the Troopers, Quarte included, started running back to the house. Ryo was suddenly forgotten as even he moved on to more important issues.   
  
Quarte was surprised at how fast he was running, without even trying. He'd never run so fast, leaving even Trowa far behind, while he ran with the Troopers. Quarte looked briefly over his shoulder and could no longer see his friends.   
  
Up ahead, Nasutei's mansion was looming over them. In only seconds, he'd run several hundred meters!  
  
YOU'LL GET USED TO IT. Shu told him, amused by Quarte's wonder.  
  
HE'D BETTER NOT! Touma's acid voice shot in. SHIN IS ALIVE! HE IS COMING BACK!  
  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
Nasutei watched them all run to the battle after Naaza and Anubis had been driven off, rather quickly. Her home was destroyed, again. Everyone ran off with the Troopers, but only, she expected, because Quarte seemed so intent on going with them.  
  
Sh'ten looked at her with his intense gaze. "I have to go, Nasutei-sama. I must search for the other Ma-Sho. They were not defeated, not so easily. I expect that this is all a distraction."  
  
She looked up at him. "Be careful. I know they were your friends, but..."  
  
"No!" Sh'ten answered more sharply than he'd intended. "No, they ARE my friends. I will convince them of the right side to be fighting for. I must." With the staff in one hand, Sh'ten started to walk away.   
  
Nasutei watched him go sadly. "Please come back." She whispered more to herself than to him. She knew that he felt the same way about the Ma-Sho as the Troopers felt about each other, but they were enemies and she was having a hard time of thinking of them as anything but bad guys.  
  
After Sh'ten was gone, it left only Heero with her in the ruined house and he stared at the departing figures of his friends with a cool expression. "Don't you want to go with them?" Nasutei asked. This boy worried her. Not that she was afraid of him, but he seemed to have some deep pain.  
  
Heero looked at her. "It isn't my mission. I have no business with them."  
  
"Don't you ever do anything that isn't a mission?"   
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
Heero looked out again after the pilots who'd vanished into the dark and considered how to answer. He wished, sometimes, that he could be someone different. He wished he could be like Duo, most of all. Duo who had so few inhibitions and all of his thoughts and feelings were completely bare to the world. Duo would a town buck naked, if the urge took him (and it did once.) and he would scream and swear for the least little reason. It was for these little reasons that Heero truly loved and admired Duo.  
  
Heero's training had conditioned him not to react to little things like emotions. He'd been in training since he was...since before he could remember, really. Dr. J was always there, always watching and waiting for some reason to punish. Still, Heero hadn't been allowed out of the compound that he'd been trained in until it was time for operation meteor. He never knew that other people were different or that some people were raised for things other than war. Quarte was going to be a businessman, Duo had been trained as a priest, Wufei was a leader among his people and Trowa was still searching for his place in the world.  
  
This girl, Nasutei, seemed, as far as he could tell, to be engulfed in simply learning. She also had this strange instinct for nurturing. Heero had never known his mother, but he had heard of mothers from Duo who often lamented not having one, and he was sure that Nasutei was what a mother was supposed to be. She cared for all the boys in her house and unthinkingly opened her home to strangers, one of whom, himself, had threatened to kill her only a short while before.  
  
"No," Heero finally answered her question. "The mission is everything."  
  
She gave him a look filled with pity and anger. "Poor thing." She murmured. "How very awful for you." A light went on in her eyes as she connected to parts of this little puzzle. "It was that Dr. J, wasn't it?"  
  
Heero looked at her surprised.  
  
"I'm not just a pretty face. I heard Seiji talking to that person on the phone and Seiji never gets that angry with anyone, so it had to be something important. You and Seiji also act very much alike, at least before he came to live with us. I think..."  
  
Heero cut her off. "Don't."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't think about who I am or who Dr. J is. It would be dangerous." He warned. "Just don't think about me anymore and you will be safer. I don't...want...to kill you."  
  
Instead of a hysterical reaction that he'd expected, Nasutei smiled sadly and nodded. "If it makes you feel better, Heero. I won't ask any more questions. Just remember, whatever happens to you, Heero, you are welcome in my home. Even if you just need a rest from your life, feel free to stop by for a few days."  
  
One of Nasutei's few remaining windows shattered and before them stood one of the most imposing figures imaginable. It was immense with a facemask but human eyes. That would not stop Heero.   
  
Heero took out one of his guns and fired point blank at where the heart should be. Nothing happened as the bullet ricocheted off. He knew this was one of the attackers from earlier and had seen the Troopers fighting it, but the only weapon his had was his gun.  
  
"Was that supposed to hurt?" The voice was strangely hissing and it focused on Heero. "So, you're one of the ones Emperor Arago wants so badly. I can see why, now." He reached out to Heero, but Heero fought back. He landed some very good hits and kicks, but the armored warrior didn't seem to notice. "You also seem to have raw talent. Good. We'll build on that." The creature raised a fist and, faster than Heero could see, tapped him lightly on the top of his head. Heero fell like a sack of potatoes and the machine easily scooped him up under one arm.  
  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
  
"No!" Nasutei shouted. "Naaza, don't do this! He's just a boy!"  
  
Naaza noticed her for the first time and gave a slight bow. "Ah, Nasutei-sama. How nice of you to join us." Naaza started toward Nasutei, who looked afraid, but wasn't backing down.  
  
"Please, don't hurt him."  
  
Naaza shook his helmeted head and gave a chuckle. "I'm not going to hurt him, Nasutei-sama. He is blessed with a rare ability and will be trained as a great warrior! We know he is an armor bearer and he will be extra in case of us should die. He will be very well treated."  
  
"He's not a pet!" Nasutei, getting courageous for Heero's sake, stepped right up to Naaza. "He's all ready a warrior and he's suffered so much for it." She realized at one point that she was trying to reason with a creature of total evil. How crazy could she get?  
  
"That's why he's wanted. We can keep his unique skills of death and shape his personality to best advantage."  
  
Naaza suddenly grabbed Nasutei around the waist and hauled her up on his shoulder. "Why don't you come along, too?" He laughed. "I'm sure my brothers will want to see you."  
  
Naaza, with Heero under one arm and a struggling Nasutei over his shoulder, caused a dark mist enshrouded them all and when the mist cleared, he and his two human captives were gone.  
  
  
  
Rajura-  
  
  
  
Back in the Nether Realms in the hall where all the Ma-Sho made their homes, Rajura appeared with the naked Suiko in his arms, tenderly as he could and trying not to stare at the bundle in his arms. With a thought, Rajura's armor vanished and was replaced by his more casual kimono. They had many extra rooms in the castle of the Dynasty, but Rajura chose one closest to their own rooms, in case the child should wake and panic.  
  
Still, Suiko was now pale and cold to the touch and Rajura thought that this was not good. Rajura opened the door of the room and set Suiko down on the large bed. It was a comfortable room, but sparse, with none of the little personal things that would indicate a person lived there. Rajura carefully covered Suiko with a warm blanket and then noticed the blood.   
  
Blood from the wound when the boy had struck the rock. Rajura paused, frowning. He knew nothing of medicine and the best he could do was to bandage Suiko's head, to prevent further blood loss. While he wrapped the lengths of linen around the auburn hair, Rajura knew he would have to wait until Naaza returned. Naaza had been a doctor, long ago. He would know how to handle this.  
  
"Still," Rajura told the sleeping boy, "At least now we have one of you. If we can just keep you safe, you'll find out that it's better to live here with us rather than be on the losing side when the final battle comes." Rajura touched Suiko's hair briefly. "Don't worry. We'll teach you everything you need to know, just as soon as your friends get here."   
  
Rajura decided that it might just be for the best to leave the boy alone to rest. He stood up and closed the heavy door quietly behind him. Where were Naaza and Anubis, anyway? They should have returned by now, and hopefully with one of those new ones to take Kay's place.  
  
Speaking of which, He changed directions and headed to her room. She was probably still sleeping after the last possession with Badamon. "Kay?" Rajura called softly, knocking on the door. "Kay, are you awake?" Getting no answer, Rajura pushed the door open slightly, just to check on her and was instantly worried when he saw no one in the room.  
  
Rajura walked into the room, hoping to find her hiding somewhere, but she was completely gone. This was not right! Usually, after a session as Lady Kayura, she slept for at least a day and often longer. The Ma-Sho of endurance tried to take a deep, calming breath. Where could she have gone?   
  
"Hello!"   
  
Rajura looked up at the sound of the voice.  
  
"Naaza," He called out. "Have you seen Kay?" Rajura went out in the hall where Naaza was and stopped in his tracks. Naaza had indeed succeeded in getting on of the replacement warriors, a young boy with short brown hair who was painfully thin. His eyes, however, were drawn to the limp young woman over Naaza's shoulder.  
  
"What the Hell have you done!?" Rajura screeched. "Why did you bring her here?"  
  
Naaza smiled happily. "'Cause she's so cute! Why do you think?"  
  
"Sh'ten's going to kill you and I may just help." Rajura took the girl away from Naaza. "What did you do to her?"  
  
"Nothing," Naaza sounded slightly offended. "She fainted when I brought her here, I think it was to much for her."  
  
"You idiot, you just put her in the most dangerous place in existence!" Rajura thought at Naaza. WHAT IF ARAGO FINDS OUT ABOUT HER? HE'LL KILL HER.  
  
HE DOESN'T HAVE TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER, RAJURA. WE'LL KEEP HER SAFE AND OUT OF THE WAY. SHE'LL BE GOOD BAIT TO GET THE TROOPERS HERE AND SH'TEN WILL COME FOR HER. JUST THINK, WITH THIS ONE GIRL, WE CAN GET EVERYONE BACK WHERE THEY BELONG IN ONE FAIL SWOOP.  
  
Because his arms were full of girl, Rajura kicked Naaza in the shin. While Naaza hopped around, trying not to drop the boy, Rajura snapped at him, IF ARAGO KILLS HER, I'M GOING TO GIFT WRAP YOU AND GIVE YOU TO SH'TEN. DON'T FORGET, HE IS STILL THE MA-SHO OF CRUELTY. HE'S VERY GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES.  
  
Naaza didn't look to worried. ARAGO WON'T KILL HER, SHE'S TO VALUABLE ALIVE AS A HOSTAGE, IF NOTHING ELSE. I PROMISE I WON'T LET HER GET KILLED.  
  
Rajura narrowed his eyes at Naaza. "You'd better not. In all my time as a Ma-Sho, I've never killed a human and I don't intend to start now." He sniffed and nodded toward the room he's left his 'guest' in. "You have work to do. Suiko is still bleeding from our battle earlier and it won't stop."  
  
Suddenly serious, Naaza went straight away to Suiko's side. He said nothing as he worked, but managed to patch up the young armor bearer with little difficulty. "Remind me to refresh you on your bandaging, Rajura, you made a mess of that job."  
  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
  
"Damn it! What are we going to do?" Ryo demanded outloud. He felt so helpless. First Shin and now both Nasutei and Heero. Duo was also not taking Heero's loss well.  
  
"Shinagami will destroy them all!" Duo screamed from atop the coffee table. "Death to anyone who touch's my Hee-Chan!" He'd found one of Nasutei's display swords and was waving it over his head insanely while Quarte tried to talk sense into him.  
  
Duo was having none of it. "I'll take Death Scythe and hunt them down! I'll rip them apart!"   
  
"You're being stupid, Duo." Touma told him. "Heero, Nasutei, and Shin aren't on Earth anymore."  
  
"Well," Wufei asked. "Where are they? On one of the colonies?"  
  
Shu shook his head. "If only it were that easy. They're in the Nether Realms." He sighed heavily. "We'll have to see if Sh'ten can get us there. We can't get there on our own, only the staff and Sh'ten can do it."  
  
"Where is Sh'ten, anyway?" Ryo asked. "I thought he was here at the attacks."  
  
Wufei sat on the over turned couch. "I think I saw him going after one of them while you were running to help Shin. I guess he hasn't come back, yet."  
  
They waited impatiently for Sh'ten to return and most of them were getting jumpy. Finally, Wufei sat next to Shu. "Relax, will you? All that fidgeting will do nothing to help."  
  
"Well, what am I supposed to do? Nasty is like a big sister to us all and we couldn't help her. She had better be all right! If those scums have hurt her at all..." He let the threat trail away, thinking of horrible things that he could do to them.   
  
"Have you tried meditating to relax?"  
  
  
  
In another part of the room, Touma had convinced Seiji he wasn't going to hurt Ryo and just want to talk to him for a moment. While he was talking quietly, Seiji watched protectively. "It's not your fault, idiot! Shin is a big boy and he does know how to take care of himself. You know full well that no force on Earth, not even you, could have stopped him for going out for his midnight swim."  
  
Ryo shook his head miserably, leaning against the falling apart fireplace. "I could have sent someone to go with him."  
  
"Why, so two of us could be captured?" Touma shook his head. "Ryo, you are an fool if you think that's what Shin would have wanted. I know him better than anyone and I know he'd laugh at you if he saw you like this." Touma put a hand on Ryo's hair. "Get over it, Ryo. You can't take the blame for the leaves falling, either."  
  
Ryo had to chuckle. "All right, all right. I get the point. But still..."  
  
"No! No buts, just get on with the job at hand." Touma pulled Ryo in for a hug. "He wouldn't blame you and neither do I."  
  
THANK YOU, TOUMA.  
  
"Oh, how touching." Everyone jumped at the familiar, feared voice. In the moonlight, standing on the rubble of Nasutei's fallen wall, she stood with her two weapons in her hands. "You've lost your friends and now you can't do anything but cry for them. How pathetic."  
  
Duo frowned. "Who's she?"  
  
Quarte stepped in front of his friends. "Lady Kayura." He knew from the collective mind of the Troopers and knew the results of past battles with the woman. "Stay back, there's no way you can fight her. I don't think I have the power, either."  
  
The young woman smiled down at him. "So, you are the new bearer of Suiko. How sweet. The prophecy was true, then, and I suppose the rest of these boys are the other bearers. That's very convenient, I'll just take them all now." The little woman held up her two long blade weapons and crossed them. "You will put up a fight for them, now won't you, Troopers? I'd hate to have come all this way for nothing."  
  
Still in their heavy armor, the Troopers attacked. Quarte held back, not sure what to do. He held Shin's Yari in his hands, but no idea how to use it. POINT IT AT KAYURA AND SHOUT, CHOURYUU HA!  
  
Quarte did as Seiji told him and was almost thrown back by the powerful wave emitted by the Yari. He'd never seen anything like it, was it technology, or truly magic? His heart said magic, but his mind was not so willing to accept such things.  
  
Lady Kayura easily dodged out of the way, but wasn't looking at Shu when he raised his naginata, pointing it in her direction and shouted, "GAN TESSAI!" The world shook, like the greatest earthquake ever and even Lady Kayura was rattled a little by it. The house started to creek and crumble around them.  
  
"Not good enough, Troopers!" She spit at them. "I will have the replacements to go along with the others." She jumped high into the air and raised her weapons over her head. She shouted out her most powerful attack and the house nearly collapsed under the force.   
  
The pilots, trying to stay out of the way, as they could see they were hopelessly out of their league, fell to the ground during Shu's attack. Lady Kayura's attack only made it worse and rubble started to fall on them.  
  
Quarte heard Seiji tell Ryo, WE HAVE TO DO THIS, RYO.  
  
Ryo nodded soberly and all the Troopers knew what was going to happen. Everyone except Quarte. WHAT'S GOING ON? He asked in his head, hoping the others would hear him as well as he heard them. He sensed great fear from Ryo and determination from the others.  
  
Touma was there at his side. DON'T BE AFRAID, QUARTE. HOLD STILL, THIS IS GOING TO HURT. Touma held Quarte's arm to make him stand still and Quarte was afraid. WE CAN BEAT HER, QUARTE, JUST HAVE FAITH IN RYO.  
  
That was strangely easy to do, but Quarte was still afraid, especially after he started to glow blue and he grew suddenly weaker. Then the fire started, as if there was a fire inside of him and it was trying to devour him.   
  
Quarte screamed, falling to his knees, only barely aware that Touma was also screaming with the pain. The world was growing dim, but Quarte could see Ryo, the only one still standing. His red and white armor had vanished, replaced by a black version of his light armor. Ryo screamed, but Quarte knew it wasn't in pain. Whatever Ryo was feeling felt very, very good. Ryo was surrounded by light and then the white armor was on him with a more ornate helmet with golden horns and, what looked like, a crown of golden thorns. His eyes were blazing red.  
  
Ryo's tiger, Byakuen, jumped over their heads to land next to Ryo, but he was no longer white. Instead, he was a black tiger and had on his own version of Ryo's new armor with two swords strapped to either side of him.   
  
Pulling out the swords that gleamed like silver, Ryo turned to the now afraid Lady Kayura. "No, not Kikoutei!"  
  
Without answering, Ryo raised his swords. "Sen Kou Zan! (Rage of Inferno!)" Fire erupted from the swords, sending such a massive wave of fire, it could have destroyed a Gundam!  
  
Lady Kayura jumped into the air again and, this time, fled back to the Nether Realms.  
  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
The pilots were just starting to stand when the roof started to creek. It groaned and shuddered under the abuse the poor house had taken. Duo swallowed fearfully. "We'd better get out of here." He said, motioning to the gaping hole in the wall.  
  
Ryo stood, unmoving with his friends at his feet, like fallen dolls he had no more use for. Duo started toward him. "Ryo, what happened to them?" He waved his hand to where the Troopers lay, Trowa was at Quarte's side, trying to gently rouse him, and Wufei, surprisingly, was with Shu, shaking him and calling his name. "Ryo?"  
  
Ryo didn't answer, which was odd, and Duo took another step closer but was stopped by a feeling of incredible heat, so hot it made his eyes water, and he had to step away. "Ryo, what's going on?"  
  
Slowly, Ryo turned around, the blazing swords of silver still in his hands. Duo gasped when he saw Ryo's red eyes.  
  
"Ryo is no longer here." The voice was deeper and definitely not Ryo's. "We are Kikoutei."  
  
Duo tried to understand. "Where's Ryo? Who are you?"  
  
"We are everyone. We are everything. We are power!" At the last word, Ryo's red eyes started to glow. "Ryo is no longer needed."  
  
Duo started to panic. "Yes, he is! We have to go rescue our friends and we need Ryo for that!"  
  
Shu's voice suddenly came through. "Come back to us, Ryo. You're stronger than the armor." Duo looked over at Shu who still had his eyes closed, but seemed only just strong enough to speak.  
  
Seiji, for once, spoke. "We need you, Ryo. I need you."  
  
Touma managed to flicker his eyes open. "We can't do it without you, Ryo. Come back to us."  
  
Quarte, without opening his eyes, said, "Please, Ryo. I hardly know you, yet. Don't leave us."  
  
As Duo watched, Ryo's flaming eyes faded from the fire red back to his normal warm blue color.  
  
All at once, his white armor glowed white-hot and the colors of the other warriors shot off him, returning to his fallen friends. Slowly, they all stood up, as though nothing had happened. Touma was smiling at their victory over Lady Kayura and Shu was hugging Wufei happily who pretended not to like it.  
  
Seiji walked over to Ryo and put his arms around Ryo. Ryo blinked, looking confused. "Everyone...all right?"  
  
Seiji, apparently answering him silently, nodded.  
  
Ryo smiled, just before he collapsed in Seiji's arms. His armor vanished, leaving him in plain clothes. Duo went to them, but Seiji picked Ryo up before Duo could do anything. In his rough, grumbling voice, Seiji snapped. "Everyone out, now!"  
  
No one questioned his orders as the house groaned again and plaster started to fall off the ceiling.  
  
Once they were all safely outside, the house collapsed much the same as Ryo had.  
  
  
  
Rajura-  
  
  
  
  
Anubis appeared shortly after, dusty and tired. "Sh'ten caught up with me." He announced wearily as we all stood in the room with our three young guests.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
  
Respecting Anubis' wish, Rajura moved onto another issue. "We have a problem." He told them. "Kay's gone."  
  
This got everyone's attention. "What? Where? She should still be asleep."  
  
"Yes, I know, but I can only think that means one thing." Rajura told them. BADAMON'S TAKEN HER AGAIN.  
  
Anubis snarled. IT'S TO SOON! HE'S GOING TO KILL HER!  
  
ALL THE BETTER THAT WE FOUND THIS ONE. Naaza gestured toward Heero, now laying limp on the ground.  
  
"Well, you have managed to foul up as usual."   
  
Everyone in the room turned and looked at Lady Kayura standing in the doorway. She smirked at them wickedly. "What do you want, Lady Kayura?" Rajura asked, wishing that she were gone. This was just to disturbing.  
  
"Just to say I saw your battle and it was pathetic. You only retrieved two armor bearers and they're both damaged. And the girl, but she is of no use."  
  
Sitting on the bed, beside Suiko, Rajura spoke to quickly to get the subject away from the girl. "Kay needs to rest, Lady Kayura. Please let her alone. We have brought you a stronger body to use."   
  
Lady Kayura walked over to the body of Heero and looked down with a sneer. "He looks to weak to be of any use."  
  
"He's stronger than he looks, Lady Kayura." Anubis testified. "Skilled and much stronger than Kay. Plus, he's an armor bearer."  
  
Lady Kayura's eyes lit up at this. "Really? That could be most interesting. I would have the body that could wear an armor." A small, nasty smile spread across her face. "That might be helpful." She threw back her head and a fog drifted from her, solidifying into Lord Badamon and leaving little Kay behind. She instantly fell into Anubis' arms, fast asleep. Lord Badamon floated over to Heero's still form and examined him for a moment. "His spirit is to clean. He must be prepared before I can take him as my host. I will send for you when the pit is ready." With that the pale blue spirit vanished.  
  
Naaza looked down at Heero. "I feel very wrong about this, Rajura."  
  
"It's him or Kay, Naaza. We don't have much of a choice." He looked at the two sleeping children still on the floor. "Might as well leave them here until they wake up." With a wave of his hand, Rajura created two more beds and he and Naaza helped to lay their guests down as comfortably as possible.  
  
"Let's take Kay to bed, too." Anubis suggested, still holding the child. "Poor kid."  
  
  
  
Anubis-  
  
  
  
Later that night, with Kay asleep and Naaza standing watch over the visitors, Anubis sat alone in his dark room. He could see perfectly well though it was pitch black.  
  
Sh'ten had caught up with him, as planned, shortly after the attack. Naaza would be getting one of the replacements and, without Sh'ten's protection or that of the Troopers, the brown haired skinny kid seemed easiest.  
  
Sh'ten stood in front of Anubis with his staff held like a weapon and, from past experience, Anubis knew not to disregard Sh'ten with any weapon in his hand. The beautiful Oni had his eyes narrowed and he looked very angry. "You never told me." Sh'ten stated.  
  
Anubis was puzzled. He was expecting a fight, not a discussion. "About what, Oni?"  
  
"You never told me you knew Korin before the wars started." Sh'ten shot images at Anubis, ones he'd apparently gotten from the Warrior of Korin. Anubis saw himself through the eyes of a child, tall and imposing, teaching a child to fight. He saw himself giving a child a short sword.  
  
"It's not your business, Sh'ten." Anubis thought back to the pale, serious child he'd met years ago. "He was my concern and then I found out he was one of the enemy! What was I supposed to do? Go give Korin a big hug and say, 'long time no see'?"  
  
Sh'ten attacked, wielding the staff expertly. "He was depending on you, Anubis. No wonder he hates you so much."  
  
"It's not my fault the war's taking longer than I thought it would! I was going back for him!"  
  
"He thought you abandoned him."   
  
  
  
Back in his room, Anubis wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed. God forbid the others see him like this. He looked down at his desk to a picture he had drawn long ago. A young boy with short blond hair, sitting on the grass with a short sword in his hand. Seiji no Korin. Damn! Why did life have to be so complicated? If Seiji had just stayed a soldier boy or had a normal life, none of this would have happened. Anubis wouldn't have gotten weak and he wouldn't have to worry that Arago would find out he had, of all things, affection for Seiji.  
  
Junior sat at Anubis' side and licked his hand, sensing his agitation. Anubis patted his friend's head. "Don't worry, Junior. I'll think of a way out of this. Seiji will come with us. I promised him."  
  
  
To be continued... 


	10. Chapter 10   Kay

Someone requested that I give Kay a weapon. I think a staff would suit her perfectly.  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
  
  
Kay-  
  
  
  
Kay swung her staff and easily knocked the empty metal helmet off the shoulders of her opponent. The soldier crashed to the ground after smoke poured out of its neck. While it was still falling, she automatically turned and ducked under the sword of the second soldier, coming up closer to it's body and ramming her staff through it's chest. This one fell as the other did, releasing the energy that gave it movement in a cloud of smoke.  
  
She was only up to two soldiers at a time now and she couldn't help but think of her dear brothers whom she had often seen spar with dozens of the things at a time, when they couldn't spar with each other, anyway. She sighed and leaned her staff over her shoulder, wishing that she were as great a warrior as they were. Well, Rajura always said that with practice she would be one of the greatest of all time.  
  
Now that her morning work out was done, Kay headed back home, into the castle. She wore a short tunic that was belted at the waist and long, baggy trousers to make her training more comfortable. Kay also fought barefooted, to toughen her feet, just in case she ever had to fight without shoes.  
  
The castle was, as usual, empty. Occasional guards, the simple soldiers who were nothing but husks, ignored her as she went directly to her chambers. She could remember no life before living here, but Kay was often sure there must have been something else.  
  
"Where was I before I came here?" She had asked Anubis once, while he was giving her lessons in the battle yard. "I had a dream last night that I was in a village with lots of other people. There were other children, just like me."  
  
Anubis looked away uncomfortably and Kay was instantly sorry that she'd asked. There was something that they were hiding from her and, although it irritated her, she never wanted to cause her brothers any pain. Kay's first memory was four years ago and it was of waking up one morning with the four men who would become her four brothers all looking down at her, worried. Before that moment, though, there was nothing. It seemed to Kay that there should have been more to life before that. After all, she'd been eight at the time. She should certainly remember more.  
  
The girl paused to look out one of the many windows at the moon as it hung in the cloudless sky. She often saw in dreams a sky that was blue. Here, at home, the sky was never blue. She remembered a having a woman holding her and feeling completely safe, but there were no women, here.   
  
"I do wish they'd tell me what's going on." She sighed, starting back to her room. Oh, well, it really wasn't all that important. If there were, her brothers would have told her. They loved her, of that she had no doubt. She felt perfectly at home and entirely safe at home with her brothers, she just wished she knew how she got here and where she came from.  
  
Kay paused briefly at a large, ornate metal door and stopped, looking at it. This was the forbidden place. This was where her brothers had told her that she was never to go, on pain of a spanking. Even though she often saw them going in when they were in their armor, looking grim or, more often, angry. They must have a good reason. Kay continued on her way, leaving another mystery behind. It would bring her brothers pain if she indulged her curiosity and that she would never do.  
  
Her brothers were everything to her, they had raised her. Naaza sat with her while she was sick, Anubis taught her how to read, Rajura was like a mother to her, and Sh'ten...  
  
Kay had to stifle a sob at the thought of her missing brother. The others wouldn't tell her what had happened to Sh'ten. He'd gone out one day and never returned. This scared Kay to no end for it could only mean that something awful had happened to him and the others didn't want to scare her by tell her the truth. If something happened to him, then what if something happened to Rajura, Naaza, or Anubis? What if none of them came back? She would be utterly alone.   
  
After dropping her staff back in her room, Kay tried to forget all the depressing thoughts and went to find Rajura. He had always told her to practice her basic moves in the morning and, if she did well, he would work with her in the afternoon. First she went to his room, but there was no one there. Kay frowned, he must have gone out to that other place they went to when they put on their armor. The place where Sh'ten had vanished.  
  
Next stop was Naaza, to see if he wanted her to do lessons today. First, though, she went to Anubis' room. "Oniisan?" She knocked on the door softly before pushing it open. The room, as usual was dark, but Kay had never been afraid of the dark. Anubis had taught her long ago that the dark was as warm and comforting as the light could be. A cold nose touched her hand and Kay smiled down at Junior. "Hey, where's Anubis?" She asked the powerful looking wolf as she scratched behind his ear.  
  
Junior led her into the darkness, to Anubis' bed where the Yami Ma-Sho was asleep. Kay had heard the titles of her brothers before, but really didn't understand them. She'd never been told why they were warlords or what they were fighting against, just that it was a long battle and they didn't want her involved because she was so young.   
  
Kay shook her head, no wonder she didn't remember seeing them last night. It must have been a late battle. She turned to leave the room, giving Junior another pat on the head, but stopped at Anubis' desk. He had always been proud of his fine oak desk, supplied with paint and brushes for his elaborate calligraphy and beautiful paper. On the desk, though, was something different, something that she had never seen before.  
  
Kay picked up the picture, a lovely painting of a young boy sitting in the grass with a little sword in his lap.  
  
"What are you doing here, Kay?"  
  
She looked up at Anubis who was now sitting up on his bed. "Sorry, Oniisan. I didn't mean to wake you. I was just wondering who this was." She went to him with the picture and handed it to him.  
  
Anubis looked at it without speaking for a moment.  
  
"Anubis? Did I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry."   
  
He shook his head, making his dark blue hair fall into his eyes slightly. "No, Kay. I'm just remembering. This is a boy that I know. His name is Seiji."  
  
Kay looked at the boy in the picture, at the short cut blonde hair and the serious expression. "He doesn't look very happy." She commented.  
  
"He wasn't. Seiji didn't have a very nice life. I'm going to bring him here to live with us as soon as I can."  
  
Kay's eyes lit up. "You are? I can have someone to play with?" She couldn't remember ever having anther child to play with and wondered what he would be like.  
  
Anubis touched her hair lovingly. "Sorry, Kay. But this picture was done a long time ago. He's older now, he must be about sixteen."  
  
Her hope died, but she smiled anyway. "Is he nice?"  
  
Anubis thought about this, studying the picture. "He was strong and smart, sad and lonely, but yes. I think he could be nice if someone taught him how."  
  
Kay didn't like this answer. "What do you mean? You can't teach someone how to be nice. You just are or you aren't."  
  
Anubis smiled. "He never had friends as a child and spent much of his time alone. I recently found out that he's found some friends, but they are on the wrong side of the war we are fighting. I don't think he remembers me kindly. I...I hope that these new friends of his are good to him."  
  
Kay started to back toward the door. "I'll go now, Anubis. You still look tired." With that, she left him still staring at the picture.  
  
Poor Anubis, Kay thought, going to find her next brother. That boy had better not hurt Nubie-Chan, Kay thought with a scowl. She would not tolerate someone hurting her brothers. This Seiji would be fine so long as he came back here to make Anubis happy, but if he was on the wrong side of the war, then he might end up hurting her Oniisan and that would not be tolerated!  
  
Before going in Naaza's room, she saw Wanda in the hall, in front of Naaza's door. "Hello, Wanda." She said politely, as snakes held manners in high esteem, "Is Naaza in his room?"  
  
The small green and red snake slowly shook her head.   
  
"Well, thanks anyway." Now where could he have gone? There was one room left in this hall, the unused guestroom. Although she was pretty sure he wasn't there, Kay looked in and was surprised to find that she was wrong. Naaza was sitting in a chair near the door, his eyes closed, though Kay was sure he was wide awake.  
  
"Hello, Kay. Did you have a good sleep?" Naaza asked, not bothering to open his eyes.  
  
She smiled and walked over to him. "Oh, yes. I was just finishing my morning training and I was wondering if you wanted me to do any lessons today." Even as she asked, Kay couldn't help but stare at the strangers. She had never, never seen any other people other than her brothers. There was a woman with long red/brown hair and two boys. One of them had a bandage wrapped around his head, with a bit of blood having soaked through. "Who are they?" She couldn't contain her curiosity.  
  
Naaza considered his answer. "They are guests. We are going to try and get them to join our side of the war and get them to help us."  
  
Kay slowly approached the beds where the three were asleep. "Are they tired?"  
  
"No, the two boys are injured and the girl had a bit of a shock so she fainted. They will get better in time." Naaza was about to say something and then paused, a frown on his face. The green haired Ma-Sho carefully stuck the tip of his tongue out and licked his lips before bringing his tongue back into his mouth and looked as if he tasted something. (Imagine a snake tasting with its tongue to smell.)  
  
Suddenly, his eyes popped open and he turned on her. "Kay! You've been into my make up, again!" He accused angrily. "Don't deny it, I can smell it on you!"  
  
Kay stepped away with her most innocent smile. "Now, Oniisan, would I do that?"  
  
He jumped out of his chair, furious. "Yes, you would! I'm not going to have any left if you keep using it up! Who the hell are you trying to impress, anyway?"  
  
"Well," Kayura said slyly. "Who are YOU trying to impress?"  
  
Naaza blushed, turning his cheeks a light shade of green. "That's not your business! Keep out of my things!"  
  
"But I just used the red eye shadow this time, Naaza." She defended herself. "I didn't touch the green this time, honest!" Kay, realizing she should have washed her face better, started to back out of the room. She couldn't quite help the tiny grin on her face.  
  
His eyes grew even wider than usual. "That's not the point! Keep out of my make up!" with that, he instantly forgot his prisoners...er...guests, and chased the laughing girl out of the room. "When I get my hands on you, child!" He threatened. Kay ran as fast as she could, but wasn't really afraid. Naaza wouldn't hurt her.  
  
Kay ran straight to Naaza's room and when he caught up with her, she was holding Julius, one of his cobra's in her arms. Naaza hissed at the snake. "Get away from her!"  
  
The snake flicked its tongue at him and curled around Kay's throat. Naaza, able to understand the snake quite well, looked at it in shock. "What do you mean, 'no way'? How dare you talk to me like that!?"  
  
It hissed at him and Naaza spluttered. "You traitor!" He shook his fist at the cobra. "How can you side with her against me?"  
  
Kay kissed the top of the cobra's head. "He likes me better than you, Naaza." She said sweetly.  
  
"You little brat! You've subverted my snake!"  
  
From everywhere in his room, his many, many snakes were slithering out, all hissing angrily. Naaza was shocked. "All of you?" He looked extremely offended. "Fine! Be that way!" With his remaining dignity held together by threads, Naaza marched out of the room, his head held high.  
  
Kay laughed and gave Julius another kiss. "Don't worry, I'll apologize to him in a minute. Thanks for helping, guys. You all get an extra mouse tonight."  
  
  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
  
Nasutei opened her eyes just as soon as the other two people ran out of the room. She'd woken up quite some time ago and had managed to stay perfectly still while she knew Naaza was in the room. Even when she heard the strange voice of the child and how unusual Naaza sounded. He was playful and friendly, even teasing the little girl. What was going on?  
  
She sat up and took a look around. On another bed was Heero, still out cold, by the look at him. Nasty swung her legs over the side of the bed and paused to check his pulse and, to her relief, found it strong and steady. Where Naaza had knocked him on the head, there was a large lump, but nothing life threatening. She peeled back one of Heero's eyelids and saw that, yes, the pupils were dilating properly, so there was probably nothing wrong with his brain. Well, nothing new.   
  
Nasty quickly turned her attention to the other patient, and her heart faltered at the sight of him. "Oh, Shin." She whispered, going to his side. He skin had gone very pale and though the bandage on his head was newly changed, the blood was still soaking through. His pulse was weak and his skin was clammy. She had no way of knowing that his condition was far improved since Naaza had taken him in his care.   
  
What am I going to do, Nasty wondered. She knew that they were prisoners in the Dynasty, but why was the door unlocked and why weren't they in a dungeon or something?  
  
I have to find a way out of here, she realized. If she could find a way to contact Sh'ten then she was sure he could rescue them. But they had to save Shin, no matter what. As she had no idea how to get back to Earth, she was desperately hoping that Sh'ten was all ready looking for them.  
  
The girl took a deep breath and slowly opened the heavy door. It wasn't locked or even guarded. The hallway was completely deserted. Her heart was thudding with fear as she crept out into the hallway and started to look for a way out of the palace.  
  
She must have spent nearly an hour wandering through the palace, getting herself completely lost. Every hall and passage looked exactly the same! It was like some huge labyrinth and there were no clues anywhere. How did the Ma-Sho find their way around?   
  
At one point, Nasutei found the armory and just had to stop. The armory was well lit and all the weapons were newly polished. Someone obviously took very good care of their weapons and she wondered if the Ma-Sho did it themselves or if they set the soldiers to doing that sort of menial task.   
  
The hall was magnificent with stone walls covered with ornate weaponry for decoration as well as crates of more common weapons, such as plain swords that the soldiers probably used. One weapon, in particular, caught Nasty's eye. It was a naginata, an almost seven foot long pole with a curved blade, like that of a large ax, on the end. She knew what she had to do, if she was going to have a hope of surviving this place. Taking off her usual pink sweater and letting it fall to the floor, Nasty took the Naginata off the wall and tested it for weight.  
  
The thing was heavy, but nothing she couldn't handle, thanks to Shu's weight lifting training. The boys had persuaded her long ago let them train her in some weapon so she would be able to protect herself. She admitted that she wasn't very good at it yet, but she had to try.  
  
After another few minutes of creeping around, the naginata came in very useful. A group of a dozen soldiers appeared from around a corner and charged her. Praying that she'd learned her lessons properly, Nasty lowered her weapon and charged in to meet them. The battle was a blur and she saw it in slow motion, slashing and stabbing with the blade, along with dodging the swords and spears of the soldiers.   
  
In the end, Nasty was the only one standing, sweating and panting for breath with nothing but scratches and a few bruises. The soldiers were now empty green armor fallen around her.  
  
She stood there, not quite understanding what she'd done, for just a few seconds before turning to run again. That battle was sure to attract, if not the Ma-Sho themselves, then more soldiers, at least. She ran as fast as she could. There must be a way out somewhere!  
  
  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
  
They had all made it outside before the roof of the house caved in, followed by the rest of the house. Duo ran over to Seiji who was setting Ryo down on the grass as gently as he could. "What's wrong with him?" Duo demanded, worried for Ryo's sake.  
  
"He'll need to rest." Shu told Duo kindly. "But he should be all right in a little while."  
  
"What do you mean, "should"?" Duo turned on Shu sharply.  
  
"The Kikoutei takes a lot out of him when he uses it and it's exhausting trying to control it. Everytime he uses it, it takes him longer to recover. It will probably take a week for him to wake up, this time." Shu began to gather wood from Nasutei's fall house and pile it next to Ryo.  
  
"Shouldn't we take him to the hospital, or something?" Duo asked.  
  
Touma shook his head. "No, not necessary. Ryo just needs someplace safe to sleep." He looked around at the mass destruction. "We'll have to stay here, I guess. We can't draw innocents into the battle." With Seiji hovering protectively over Ryo, they all sat trying to pass the time until Ryo woke. As soon as Shu had built his pile of wood up about three feet, Touma brought out a lighter and set the pile on fire.   
  
"Isn't Ryo a little close to the fire?" Duo asked, seeing that Ryo was only a few inches from the blaze.  
  
Quarte answered. "The fire will make him stronger. It's like a power source for him." It unnerved Duo that Quarte, now that he had the light blue armor, knew so much about the strangers and all this magic stuff. More disturbing was that he trusted them so much, easily accepting whatever they told him. Duo could only imagine how Trowa must feel. It seemed that Quarte was spending more time with these new people than with his own friends.  
  
"I have no intention of sleeping on the ground. I'll see you all in the morning." Wufei announced, going to his Gundam. They still had to wait until Sh'ten came back before they could do anything and now, Seiji told them though Touma, it would be best for them to get some sleep. The Troopers began to make camp around Ryo and the fire. With his Koibito missing and Ryo so badly injured, Duo had decided to stay with Ryo, too. He still didn't understand all this and still wanted to protect Ryo.  
  
Shu shouted after Wufei, "Can I come with you, Little Panda?"  
  
"No, you most certainly can not!" Wufei snapped, turning his nose up at the thought of someone else touching his Shen Long.  
  
Shu began running after Wufei. "Come on! Just for a minute, I just want to see what a Gundam is like on the inside."  
  
"No! If I let you in, you'll never leave."  
  
Shu continued to follow and pester Wufei until the two had vanished from sight. Wufei's shouting voice could be heard coming from the darkness for quite some time.  
  
Duo sat by Ryo's side that night as the campfire burned low and he made sure to feed it, keeping it blazing through the night. "A pity we have no time to get to a volcano." Touma commented, coming to sit with Ryo.  
  
"A volcano, why?"  
  
"Well, you see how the fire is helping to heal him, it makes him stronger. The stronger the source of heat, the stronger he will get." Touma smiled suddenly, the first one since Shin had been abducted. "Some day, I plan to take him to the sun and see what that will do to him. It should be educational, if nothing else."  
  
"Duo," Quarte was standing behind him now, nervously wringing his hands. "Can I talk to you?"  
  
Duo nodded and Touma, exchanging a look with Quarte got up and went to talk to Seiji. Quarte sat down where Touma had been. "Is this whole telepathy thing for real, Quarte?"  
  
The blond nodded, his eyes fixed on Ryo's face. "Oh, yes. You just saw it at work. I asked Touma if I could have a minute to talk to you alone and he said to call if I needed anything."  
  
Duo frowned. "Why would you need anything?"  
  
Quarte sort of smiled at this. "I think I've been adopted into a new family and they're looking at me as sort of a defenseless little brother. Duo, this is serious." Quarte looked at him, very serious. "This is bigger than OZ, bigger than anything. I've seen what this Arago can do through their memories. They shared their memories with me. Do you realize what that feels like? They even know all about me, because I couldn't shield myself when I first got the armor. I know so much about them all and I only met them today.  
  
Sh'ten showed me what's happened in the past when there was no one strong enough to stand up to Arago. The Earth was nearly destroyed several times. I...I'm afraid, Duo."  
  
Duo looked at Quarte, surprised. Quarte, though the most modest boy Duo had ever met, had never admitted to being afraid before.   
  
"Don't you see, Duo? I'm supposed to help in this war now, too. I don't know if I can control this armor and if I'm not strong enough it'll take me over. I won't be me anymore, I'll be Suiko. I'm just not strong enough."  
  
Duo patted his friend's shoulder. "Why don't you talk to Trowa about this? He's always been good at inspiring you."  
  
"I've tried." Quarte insisted. "I think he's upset that I'm one of the Troopers now." Duo followed Quarte's look over to the normally silent Trowa, who was now glowering at the ground. Duo had seen it earlier, Trowa was shutting Quarte out, and jealous of how close he was to the Troopers. Trowa didn't like sharing Quarte with anyone.  
  
"I see your point." Duo thought. "Well, what about Seiji? He seems to have all the answers."  
  
Again, Quarte shook his head. "He's to worried about Ryo."   
  
To Duo's eyes Seiji was the same as always, calm and cool, not giving away any emotion at all, let alone worry. "He's creepy, anyway." Duo commented. "Just like Heero."  
  
"I thought you loved Heero."  
  
"I do, but he's still creepy."  
  
"There is a reason they are so much alike." Sh'ten told them, loudly enough for everyone to hear and look at Seiji curiously. Seiji glared at Sh'ten, obviously understanding what Sh'ten was talking about. "I'm sorry, but when you told Ryo, I heard also."  
  
Seiji was silent, but apparently said something with that telepathic thing. Sh'ten answered him outloud. "I know that you were shielding, but I am far older and more experienced than you are. I couldn't help but pick up your thoughts as your emotions were so strong."  
  
Seiji turned his back on Sh'ten.  
  
"He hasn't forgotten you." Sh'ten told Seiji quietly. "In all this time, he was still going to come for you. Don't worry, I won't tell if you don't want me to. I just thought you should know, he still wants you."  
  
Duo's little mind was screaming to have the blanks filled in, but no one was giving, even Quarte said that it would be rude to tell what was going on, the little he knew, anyway.  
  
"I told you not to touch that!" Now everyone looked at Wufei and Shu who came trudging back to the make shift camp. Wufei and Shu were both covered with ash and Wufei's hair was crispy at the end of his little pigtail.  
  
"How was I supposed to know what that button did?" Shu asked defensively.  
  
Wufei turned on him angrily. "'DO NOT TOUCH!' written in big black letters on a big red button is usually enough to discourage most people!"  
  
Duo suddenly understood and giggled. "He pushed the burglar alarm, didn't he?"  
  
Wufei nodded, still glaring at Shu. "It's mean to discourage would be robbers, but this fool decided he wanted to see what all the buttons did."  
  
Shu shrugged. "That Gundam is a piece of junk, anyway."  
  
Wufei saw red and screamed. "What are you talking about?!"  
  
"All those buttons and no radio? You gotta be joking me, I wouldn't take that thing if you paid me."  
  
"Ahem." Sh'ten cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Where is Nasutei-sama?"   
  
"She's been kidnapped along with Heero." Quarte told him and then wished he didn't.   
  
Sh'ten glared at him and his eyes flashed red for an instant. "What?" He asked in a dangerously soft voice.  
  
Quarte backed away a little. "She was kidnapped along with Heero and Shin."  
  
Instead of exploding, Sh'ten managed to calm himself and took a deep breath. "I am calm." He muttered to himself. "I am calm. I am calm." When he opened his eyes, they were back to their original color and he looked down at Ryo. "What happened to him?"  
  
"Kikoutei." Touma answered and it seemed to explain everything to Sh'ten.  
  
"Then we will have to wait until he is well enough to fight." Sh'ten declared and sat on the ground, folding his robes around him and laying his staff on his lap.  
  
Duo shouted in disbelief. "Aren't you at all worried? You're friends were just capture and maybe killed by evil demon things? Are you just going to sit there? Why don't you go without Ryo?"  
  
"We need all the armors if we are going to stand a fighting chance." Sh'ten's voice didn't even rise. "Those evil demon things you are talking about are my brothers and they won't hurt Nasutei-sama, she is not a threat. Shin will not be physically harmed, he is to valuable. Heero, I don't believe they will hurt them. They seem to know what is going on with you as our replacements, so they won't hurt an armor bearer."  
  
"You don't sound to sure." Touma commented, throwing another log on Ryo's fire.  
  
"I confess, I'm not. My brothers wouldn't hurt any of them without reason, but Arago is another matter. He controls everything in the Dynasty and will decide the fate of our friends."  
  
Trowa spoke for the first time in a long time. "I understand that you all have a kind of telepathic link." He gestured to the troopers and Sh'ten. "But you," He looked at Sh'ten. "You have a link with the enemy, also, don't you? Why are only you connect with them?"  
  
"I am in a unique position. I was a Ma-Sho, not long ago. Now I fight with the Troopers. I don't know why exactly, but I am linked with all of them now." Sh'ten quickly changed the subject, as he was clearly uncomfortable with it. "It is not difficult to get to the Nether Realms, but it will be necessary for most of you to stay here." He looked at Duo, Trowa, and Wufei. "You would be, forgive me for saying this, liabilities in the Nether Realms. You do not have the power to survive there."  
  
"What about Quarte?" Trowa asked.  
  
"He will go with us. We need the power of Suiko."  
  
Trowa looked at Quarte. "Do you want to go with them?" He would not let anyone force Quarte to do anything he didn't want to do, which was obvious.  
  
Quarte went to Trowa and touched his face with the metal covered hands. "I don't like this any better than you do, love. But this is the way it has to be. I can't just let everyone down because I'm afraid." He tried to smile reassuringly at Trowa. "I will come back."  
  
Ryo's eyes opened, flickered and then settled on Duo. Everyone gasped, happy, but concerned. It seemed that Ryo waking up this early was unexpected.  
  
"Ryo! You're awake!" Duo knelt next to Ryo, but it seemed that Ryo was looking through him. "Ryo? Are you all right?"  
  
"I don't have much energy." Ryo did sound very tired, as if he'd not slept in years. Slowly, almost painfully, Ryo reached to his throat and pulled off a chain with his kanji ball attached. He gave the chain a sharp jerk and snapped the chair. With a smile, he handed it to Duo.  
  
Duo looked at the offered kanji ball and slowly shook his head. "No way. You are not dying and I am not taking that thing!" He started to back away, but bumped into something. He turned to find a line of Troopers standing like a wall behind him and Quarte was standing with them as if he'd always been with them.  
  
"You have no choice, Duo." Ryo's eyes were starting to close again. "Take it before it takes you. Look at it closely." Ryo's symbol for benevolence faded and shifted to the symbol for passion. "Recca wants you, Duo." Ryo's eyes fell closed and the kanji ball fell through his fingers.  
  
Without thinking, Duo grabbed it and felt it grow warm in his hand. He felt that the armor was pleased. Duo looked down at Ryo and saw that he was still breathing. Thank god he wasn't dead. "Man, when you wake up, I am going to kill you for this."   
  
Sh'ten told Duo, "Your words of power are Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"   
  
Duo frowned at the ball in his hands. "I don't want to! I don't want all of you wandering about in my head." That part was terrifying to him. He had things in his past that he didn't want anyone, not even Heero to know about. How could he let perfect strangers into his head?  
  
"If Recca weren't needed, then it would have stayed with Ryo. So, it must know that another battle is coming and Ryo won't be strong enough to fight, yet." Touma told him, sounding very sensible. "We won't win without you, Duo. It is your choice, though."  
  
Duo grunted bitterly. "Some choice! Take the armor and let you all in my head or don't and let Heero die and be taken over by the armor." Duo really didn't want to do this. He really, really didn't want to do this. In his mind's eye, Duo saw Heero looking at him. Depending on him. Aw, hell.  
  
Duo raised the small orb high and shouted, "Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"  
  
He was engulfed with heat, a warm comforting heat, like sitting next to the fireplace after a day spent shoveling snow. It felt like coming home. When Duo looked down at himself, he was in Ryo's armor.  
  
WE'RE SORRY YOU HAD TO GET INVOLVED, BUT RYO WAS RIGHT. YOU CAN NOT AVOID THIS. A strange voice, like liquid silk, was in Duo's mind. Duo turned again and looked at all the Troopers. He really could feel them all, though they were being polite and keeping themselves hidden, he knew they were in his head. They could see everything he couldn't hide. Just like he could see Quarte and all the little pains and joys of Quarte's life. Suddenly there was curtain infront of Quarte's mind. The curtain had been supplied from Seiji.  
  
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY, DUO. Duo saw Seiji bow his head, ever so slightly. YOU ARE WELCOME AND RYO WOULD BE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU WITH US. I AM SHIELDING QUARTE SO YOU WILL NOT SEE HIS SECRETS AND I AM SHIELDING YOUR MIND. I WILL DO SO UNTIL YOU BOTH LEARN CONTROL.  
  
"Thanks." Duo said. Not only were there people running around in his head, but now one of them was, what, controlling his mind?  
  
I AM NOT CONTROLING YOUR MIND. Seiji insisted in an unnaturally beautiful voice. NONE OF US CAN DO THAT. I AM JUST HELPING. I WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP YOUR THOUGHTS, BUT THE OTHERS WON'T AND I WON'T SPEAK OF ANYTHING YOU THINK TO ANYONE. YOU CAN TRUST ME.  
  
"Why don't you sound like that when you talk?" Duo asked, still not entirely comfortable with this whole situation.  
  
LACK OF PRACTICE, I SUPPOSE.  
  
Something poked Duo's hand and he looked down at a familiar tiger. "What?" Duo started to back away from the thing wearily. The creature had been black a minute ago, when it fought with Ryo against that Lady Kayura.  
  
Sh'ten put a hand on the tiger's head. "This is Byakuen, he is Ryo's friend, but he is also the bearer of the swords of fervor. We will need him if you have to change into Kikoutei."   
  
Sh'ten raised his staff and it started to glow. "We must leave now." He declared. The clouds above them began to swirl and Duo was almost afraid of a tornado, but a tunnel of light appeared, drawing the armored five along with the tiger up to the sky. Duo and Quarte tried not to panic, but the others seemed to be perfectly at ease.  
  
  
Sh'ten-  
  
  
Sh'ten was just about to send himself up after them, when Wufei and Trowa exchanged a look. Trowa said, "I'm not letting Quarte go anywhere without me."  
  
"Shu will get himself killed without someone sensible to look after him." Wufei commented.  
  
Sh'ten, getting worried, started to say that they should stay and take care of Ryo when both boys jumped into the beam of light and were carried up after the Troopers.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sh'ten screamed after them. "You idiots! You'll get killed!" After a few minutes more of ranting and swearing, Sh'ten sighed, accepting reality. "Oh, well." He looked at Ryo and decided a little protection was needed. With the staff, he drew a circle around Ryo. "That should protect you against most things. Just so long as we don't take to long."  
  
Sh'ten jumped in last of all and the column of light vanished behind him, closing the gate between realities.  
  
  
  
To be continued... 


	11. Chapter 11   Heero

Chapter 11  
  
  
  
Sh'ten-  
  
  
  
He landed gracefully, more used to this sort of travel than any of the far younger boys with him. They all landed with splashes in the ankle deep water that surrounded the outskirts of Arago's palace.  
  
While the Troopers got themselves sorted out, Sh'ten look around for threats and tried to ignore Shu hugging Wufei happily, "Little Panda, you followed me!"  
  
Wufei responded, "I did not! I came to make sure you don't foul up and cause the end of the world!"  
  
Shu didn't seem to hear him and grabbed Wufei in a bear hug. "I'm so happy!"  
  
"Get off me!"  
  
Sh'ten focused on the landscape. Despite the peaceful atmosphere of the Nether Realms, he knew this world far better than anyone else here and he knew that there could be threats lurking just around the corner, especially as Arago probably wasn't real happy with him right now.  
  
That didn't bother Sh'ten so much as the curtains that had been put up in front of his brother's minds. They were keeping him out of their minds and that hurt, badly. Of coarse, it was probably because they now thought he was an enemy and they didn't want him to find out their plans, but it still hurt. He had started to shut his mind to them, also, but kept trying to reach out to them. Nothing but black curtain greeted him in their communal mind.  
  
The first night, when he'd moved to fight against his brothers and Arago, Sh'ten had nearly burst into tears when his mind was suddenly silent. No more bickering brothers, no more pleads from Rajura to come back and act sensibly.   
  
Just...him...alone.   
  
That had been the longest night of his life. It just before he had gone to meet with the Troopers and he'd spent his time in the forest near Nasutei-Domo's home. Finding the Staff of Kaosu had been trouble enough, picking the thing up had instantly given him powers and insight he neither needed nor wanted. Then, being alone was almost to much.  
  
Sh'ten knew how close the Troopers were and how much they relied on the minds of each other to get them through life, but he and the Ma-Sho were even closer. They had, after all, lived with each other for four centuries with no one else. Only recently had Kay come to join them, but she didn't share their link.  
  
"Come on." That was Duo, the new bearer of Recca, and he was looking at the ominous palace with a strange grin on his face. "That's the place, right? Let's go get them!"  
  
Seiji shook his head. YOU ARE AS BAD AS RYO EVER WAS.  
  
Duo, still unused to this new way of communicating, jumped. "What do you mean? Let's go kill people and break things! Come on, it'll be fun!" Duo grabbed the two swords off his back and swung them experimentally. "I've never used swords before." Duo started to run ahead, almost giggling at the prospect of the up coming battle.  
  
Shu laughed too. "That's my kinda guy." He commented, still holding firmly onto Wufei.   
  
Seiji started to massage his temples, all ready getting a headache from their newest member.  
  
The two mere mortals, Wufei and Trowa, walked with them confidently as they'd ever entered a battle. Quarte was standing very close to Trowa, biting his lower lip, nervously and Sh'ten had to smile watching them. It seemed like such a short time ago that he'd been so nervous with his own power, newly discovered. Well, there was nothing he could do to help Quarte, they'd all given him encouragement. Perhaps he was like Shin in this way, also. Lack of self-confidence was a sad thing, but it could also be fatal.  
  
"What are you thinking about?"   
  
Sh'ten looked over at Wufei who was suddenly beside him after having escaped from Shu by threatening him with a long knife. He shrugged, listening to the sounds of his staff jingle as it struck the ground with his every step. "This was my home for a very long time, Wufei. I was remembering what it was like to live here."  
  
"Not pleasant, I should think." Wufei sneered at the palace growing larger as they got closer. "This does not seem like the nicest of places."  
  
"Don't be so sure. I was with my family and we had many ways to pass the time. It was not torture, if that's what you are thinking. We were all warriors in our own rights and this world allowed us the time and luxury of tempering our skills."  
  
Wufei was quiet, thinking on this, when Quarte's quiet voice asked in Sh'ten's mind. ARE YOU SCARED FOR NASUTEI?  
  
Sh'ten had to smile at the question. "No." He answered out loud. "Not really. She will, I think, be well cared for until I get to her."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"   
  
Sh'ten looked at Touma who had spoken. "Because I am, and always will be, the Oni Ma-Sho, I am the warrior of Cruelty. They know exactly what I can and will do to them if she is injured in any little way." He answered darkly, his sinister eyes narrowed even more at the thought of anyone harming the gentle girl.  
  
I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT WUFEI, MY LITTLE PANDA. Shu told everyone honestly. The Troopers smiled at Shu, happy he'd found someone to love, but Quarte gasped and stared at Shu, disbelieving. Duo gaped and then fell over laughing hysterically.  
  
Trowa and Wufei, who could not hear the thought conversation, looked confused. "What's going on?" Wufei asked. "What's so funny?"  
  
Quarte, putting a sympathetic hand on Wufei's shoulder told him softly. "I'll tell you later, Wufei. I don't think you want to know now."  
  
Shu pouted. "I don't know what you're all so upset about. There's nothing wrong with..."  
  
"Stop!" Duo managed to get out between his giggles, now calming and able to stand again. "He'll only get distracted if you say anything else. Tell him when we all get back to Earth."  
  
  
  
Now they walked in silence for a while, except for a few comments between the pilots and the more frequents thought conversations between the Troopers, they trudged through the swamp like terrain quietly. It was Naaza's realm, Sh'ten knew. One of his favorite places and Sh'ten also knew there were thousands of snakes just under the surface of the water. The cobra master surely all ready knew they were here and, probably had told the others.  
  
Sh'ten closed his mind to the Troopers and opened the separate link he had to his brothers. NAAZA? No one answered, and Sh'ten let himself visualize the room in their collective mind that he and his brothers shared.  
  
Three black curtains were still in place, as unmoving as they had been for weeks now. RAJURA? In his mind, he wandered closer to the second curtain, but it was also stubbornly closed, not letting him near the person behind it. Finally, he went to the last curtain and, to his surprise, found this one slightly opened, just at the corner. ANUBIS?  
  
GO AWAY. The voice was quiet and sounded depressed.   
  
Sh'ten went closer, and listened at the door. ANUBIS? WHAT'S WRONG?  
  
GO AWAY, ONI. Naaza repeated himself. I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE TO GUARD YOUR NEW FRIENDS, ANYWAY. Sh'ten, long accustomed to speaking like this, recognized that Naaza was trying to hide something. He was trying to change the subject.  
  
ARE YOU STILL UPSET ABOUT SEIJI?  
  
The curtain was thrown open violently, allowing Sh'ten into Anubis' mind and let him see all the pain. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? Anubis asked bitterly and showed Sh'ten his fear.  
  
Seiji, no longer a child, but the teenager he was now, fighting Anubis, both of them in full armor. Anubis shouted to the younger warrior. "Stand down, boy! You know who I am, I don't want to kill you!"  
  
Seiji's face twisted with hate. "I know you and I will KILL you!" He swung his massive sword at Anubis powered by all his hate. "Left me alone! I will kill you!"  
  
Instinct sprung into action and Anubis lunged, driving his own sword through Seiji's heart. Anubis screamed, horrified at what he'd done, and caught Seiji as he fell. Seiji fell to the ground and his eyes met Anubis' briefly. "I hate you." Seiji muttered just before he died.  
  
The images faded and left only Anubis, standing alone. HAVE YOU SHARED THIS WITH THE OTHERS? Sh'ten asked.  
  
Anubis laughed. HOW COULD I? THEY WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND.  
  
WOULDN'T THEY? WE ARE COMING AND SEIJI IS WITH ME. HE DOESN'T BELIEVE YOU STILL CARE FOR HIM. TELL HIM.  
  
YOU ONLY WANT ME TO FIGHT WITH YOU AGAINST EMPEROR ARAGO. IT WON'T WORK, SH'TEN. I WON'T BE TRICKED SO EASILY. Then his voice became softer. COME BACK TO US, ONI. KAY MISSES YOU. WE ALL DO.  
  
Sh'ten backed away from the curtain. YOU KNOW I WON'T DO THAT, ANUBIS. Anubis pulled the curtain of his mind closed against him and Sh'ten no longer felt the desperate sadness from Anubis.   
  
With that, Sh'ten closed off his own mind and prayed that his dark brother would find comfort from one of the others. He hated to leave Anubis in this time of pain, but he had to remember that Anubis was still one of the enemies. It was bad enough that he'd let it slip that they were coming, but he couldn't let Anubis know anything else.  
  
  
  
Nasty-  
  
  
  
Nasty ran through the palace, still holding the stolen naginata with both hands, she was so afraid that it was hard to think, but she knew she had to find a way to help Heero and Shin. They were both alone and injured, sitting in that little room would do no good, so she'd decided to look around, but she couldn't find any way out of the twisting passages, let alone a way to get Sh'ten or the others here.  
  
The palace of the Dynasty was huge, twisting in a horrible labyrinth of stone and wood. She was soon lost, but kept running. If she stopped, then Nasty just knew they would find her. All ready the Ma-Sho must have noticed that she was missing, so they'd probably sent out more soldiers to search for her. She'd done pretty well against the last batch of soldiers, but she knew she wouldn't hold out long, probably not even one more battle. She was to tired from fighting.  
  
It seemed a miracle when Nasutei came across an outer window that looked out upon the vast emptiness of the Dynasty. She was frozen, looking out at the land of this evil place, with her mouth gaping open.  
  
How could such an evil place, look so incredibly beautiful?   
  
The sky was a dark purple with stars twinkling and a massively big moon, almost six times the size of Earth's moon looked down on the meadows of tall grass that seemed to stretch into the horizon. Just off to her left, though Nasty could see the grass's replaced by shallow wetlands that shimmered in the moonlight and were covered in pale pink water lilies. There was no sound, at all. Everything was utterly silent.   
  
"Quite pretty, isn't it?"  
  
Nasty jumped at the voice and almost broke into a run, but paused. It was Naaza, standing next to her, but not threatening in anyway. He just stood there with his hands clasped behind his back and dressed in a kimono of many colors. His hair was green, messed up and sticking out in all directions, his unnaturally wide eyes were intent on the landscape and his hands were peacefully resting on the windowsill.  
  
The Ma-Sho was venom was looking out, not at her. She'd never seen any of them like this, except for Sh'ten. Could it be that they all had the potential for good? Were they all human? He seemed almost...normal, just standing there like that.  
  
"The Dynasty is a very pretty place to live, but we rarely have time to appreciate it, anymore. There was a time when the four of us would ride as far as the horses would carry us and then walk back to the palace. It was a simpler time when we didn't have to think about war all the time and we could waste days doing pleasant things."  
  
Nasutei asked, "Do you miss it? I thought you all liked the fighting." She didn't know why she asked it, or if he would even answer. He was still a demon general, and was probably setting some trap for her with all this kindly attitude.  
  
"Oh, we do enjoy battle. Just as your Troopers enjoy battle, though they would not like to admit it." His voice drifted off. "It is not the same without Sh'ten, though. He was our leader, but he was also a child. We took care of him in many ways. Now, he's gone from us." Naaza looked down at Nasty with his odd, bulging eyes, far to large to be human. "How is he? We know that he now sees you and your friends."  
  
Nasty would have sworn that she heard jealously in his voice and was more than a little surprised, as she was by this whole conversation. "Sh'ten is fine. But, I think he misses you. He worries all the time. Why don't you go see him?"  
  
Naaza shook his head. "That would not work, Nasutei-sama. We are on opposite sides of this war, now." Naaza shook his head and held out his arm to her, like a gentleman. "Come. You are captured now and there is no escape, as you should have realized by now. Come walk with me and I will take you to your friends, our soon to be allies." Calmly, he took the naginata from her hand. "You will not need that any more, I think." And he leaned it against a wall. "Someone will put in back in the armory. You did very well against the soldiers, by the way."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
With a sigh, Nasty took his arm and they walked together. There really was no escape, for although she had fought well against the soldiers, she couldn't delude herself enough to believe that she stood a chance against Naaza. For some reason, she wasn't afraid of him like this. He seemed more sensible without the armor on. "Why are you so..." She wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure exactly what to say without offending him. She certainly didn't want him angry.  
  
"Different?" He supplied. "I am not human, as the others are. I never was. I'm not sure what I am, but I often feel human, though I'm not sure how to explain that. Rajura says my skin is colder than a human's and Sh'ten used to tell me that I do things humans don't."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well, once ever twenty years, I shed my skin."  
  
Nasty stopped and looked at him suspiciously. "Are you teasing me?"  
  
"Who me? There are other things." He stopped walking for a minute and raised the sleeve of his kimono. Starting at his elbow there were iridescent scales, shimmering in the light. "Every year, they grow more prominent. Soon, I expect, I will be covered in them." There was horror in his eyes, though he tried hard to hide it. "I will be even less human than I am now." Naaza shook his head and lowered his sleeve again. "Let us continue. The others are waiting."  
  
They walked again. "Why are you working for Arago?" Nasty asked. "You don't seem evil, at least not right now. Sh'ten doesn't seem evil without his armor, either."  
  
"It's not so bad, as you may think, Nasutei-sama. This is far better than the mortal life I left behind. When I was a human I was despised for my appearance and my own family hated me. My mother was murdered by my father for giving birth to a demon when my scales began to appear. I think I was six at the time. I was orphaned shortly later when my father disowned me and chased me out of my village with a pitchfork. I have spent much of my life alone, no one could stand to be near me, they were all afraid, though I'd never done anything wrong." He almost smiled at her. "How you can hold my arm when you just saw my scales, I have no idea, but you are a brave woman."  
  
Nasutei thought she should say something, but wasn't quite sure what she should say. "All people aren't like that. You must have met some nice people on Earth."  
  
"I met Rajura when I was fifteen. He was all ready a general for Emperor Arago and had been injured in a battle. He wasn't afraid of me when I met him and he allowed me to heal him with my talent. The one useful thing in my life was the small healing skills I had learned here and there to take care of myself. He didn't know I was to be a brother of his until much later, but he came back to see me several times. Rajura was the first person in my entire life to show me kindness and respect. Why shouldn't I want to be with him? When my powers began to appear, Rajura came again and offered me a home with power and safety, where I no longer had to worry about others hurting me."  
  
There was a quiet moment and only the sounds of their feet could be heard. "I hate the Earth." Naaza hissed, showing his fangs. "I have no happy memories of the wretched place and as far as I am concerned, very, very few humans deserve to be spared when we conquer the Earth." Now, his kind attitude had vanished under memories and past hurt. "They have no right to live if they can't see past a person's shell. I never did anyone harm, but they couldn't stand to let me live." Naaza's tongue flicked out between his lips in a most inhuman manner and he hissed again. "Let them all be destroyed!"  
  
His arm tightened and Nasutei could feel his powerful muscles under the silk of the kimono flex around her hand and wrist painfully. She bit her lip at the slight pain, not wanting to draw to much attention to herself, but Naaza seemed to realize what he'd done.  
  
"Forgive me, Nasutei-sama. I'm frightening you." He relaxed his arm and lowered his head, calming himself. "It will not be so bad for you, when we take over the Earth. You will be spared because of how Sh'ten feels about you. He will be reeducated along with the Troopers and then set back to fighting for Emperor Arago. You will be very comfortable with us and your Trooper friends will be with you, also. Master Arago had said that once we've taken over the Earth it will change to look much like the Nether Realms. It will be beautiful..." He looked at her. "Is something wrong?" She had stopped walking and looked up at him, puzzled.   
  
"What do you mean, because of how Sh'ten feels about me?"  
  
Naaza blinked. "He hasn't told you? That fool. Never mind, I'm sure he'll tell you in time." He started to walk again, but Nasutei refused to move.  
  
"No! Tell me now. What do you know?"  
  
Naaza was suddenly uncomfortable and looked away, like a nervous boy. "It's nothing, really. I should keep my mouth shut."  
  
"Tell me now!"  
  
"He'll kill me!"  
  
"Now!"  
  
Naaza looked miserable for just a moment. "Well, you didn't hear it from me, but I think he's wants to court you."  
  
Court? As in date? Nasutei allowed Naaza to take her arm again, without resisting this time, and lead her away.   
  
They had now gone back into the palace, into the twisting halls. I should be afraid, Nasty thought. What's wrong with me? "Where are the others?" She asked, trying to get her mind away from that burning issue. Sh'ten liked her in hopefully the same way she liked him?  
  
"Suiko," He started only to have Nasutei interrupt him, telling him that Suiko's real name was Shin. "Shin is still to badly injured to be moved and he hasn't woken up, yet. I'm taking you to the boy, Heero." Nasty thought that Naaza tensed for a moment. "Master Arago has decided that you will watch his transformation." He was interrupted by a loud yell.  
  
"Oniisan!"   
  
Naaza looked up and let himself smile. A small black haired girl ran up to them, with a cheery smile. "Good evening, Kay." Naaza said. The girl stopped just in front of them and Nasutei suspected that she was just at the stage in life where she wanted to jump into his arms like a child, but she also wanted to act like a grown up.  
  
"Hi! Who's your friend, Naaza? Is she the girl I saw sleeping?" Kay looked at Nasty, puzzled, but still smiling. "Is she your girlfriend?" Kay asked with a teasing smile.  
  
Naaza actually blushed! Nasty almost fainted at that reaction.  
  
"No, Kay, this is Nasutei-sama. Say hello and be polite."  
  
Kay bowed politely. "Konbanwa, Nasutei-sama." Then she looked back at Naaza. "Will you go riding with me, Oniisan?" She grabbed his sleeve and tugged it, looking up at him with big sweet eyes.  
  
"You will have to wait a little while, Kay. I have to do some work first, then I will go riding with you." Naaza promised.  
  
The girl nodded happily and ran off down the halls, laughing.  
  
"Who was that?" Nasty had to ask.  
  
"That was Lady Kayura." Naaza told her.  
  
Nasty starred at him and then down the hall where the child had vanished. "That was Lady Kayura? But...she was just a child! She certainly didn't act like a fighter."  
  
"Yes, when she is like this, she is Kay. When she is possessed by Badamon, she is Lady Kayura and he seems to like changing her into an adult." Naaza was hissing though his sharp fangs and his eyes narrowed. "I told you he's a hentai. Kay is like a sister to us all, but when she is Lady Kayura, she is a different person."  
  
"This is all very confusing." Nasty admitted. "I can't tell whether I should believe you or not. This could very well be a trick, but I'm not sure what it would accomplish."  
  
Naaza hissed, amused. "You must not trust us, Nasutei-sama. We are all under the control of Emperor Arago. He can make us do anything if he pleases. We are all quite vicious and would gladly fight your friends to the death, well, near death. However, you are not a warrior and you are a guest in our home. There is no reason to hurt you and no reason to be unpleasant."  
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
He woke in the darkness. No windows and the door was closed. Heero considered getting up, but his head was still throbbing and that probably meant he would get dizzy and fall as soon as he stood. Not a good idea as he didn't know where he was what his captors objectives were.   
  
The room was warm, though Heero could see no heating equipment or fire. He was laying on a bed, unbound, and there were two other beds in the room. One had Trooper Shin asleep and apparently injured. The other bed was empty, but from the look of it had recently been used.  
  
"Good to see you awake, boy." There was someone in the corner of the dark room. "We were almost afraid you would die." From the shadows appeared a blue haired man in the light armor Heero had seen on the Troopers, though this man's was a different color.  
  
Heero didn't respond, just looked up at him with blank eyes. Enemy. This enemy was stopping him from accomplishing his mission. Eliminate Seiji.  
  
The man, whom Heero could now see had a cross-shaped scar on his cheek, stepped closer and Heero prepared himself. "Come on, boy. I know you're not as injured as all that, you can stand. We have need of you."   
  
When he reached down, Heero sprang into action. He caught the man with a sharp punch to the jaw and when the man flinched, Heero ran for the open door. The only thought on his mind was not that he had to find his friends, or that he had to save himself. He had to kill Seiji. Once he'd accomplished that mission, he would deal with this other stuff.   
  
The man growled at the punch, but didn't even put a hand to his face. He instantly took chase after Heero. "Get back here, you little brat!" The man screamed furiously. "I'll gift wrap you for Badamon for that!"  
  
Heero didn't stop to answer or even think about the threat. He ran at top speed to get away from the person who was stopping him for completing the mission. He kept running until the screaming, swearing voice behind him faded away. Then, when he could no longer hear the clatter of armored feet pursuing him, did Heero stop and look behind him. After a minute, and no sign of the enemy, Heero looked down at himself. He was still fully dressed, but his guns and his two knives had been taken away. That limited him, but no too seriously. There were more ways to kill than with just those two kinds of weapons.  
  
Heero only took one step when he saw something that was slightly out of place. Duo, standing in the hall of this strange place, with his long braid all undone, bare chested, and smiling seductively. "Where are you going, He-Chan?" Duo asked, in a voice that usually meant sex was on Duo's mind.  
  
"I must kill Seiji, Duo." Why was Duo here and why wasn't he upset that they were in this odd place? This was an unusual time for sex, though Duo had chosen to indulge during stranger situations than this in the past.  
  
Duo started walking toward him, swaying his hips. "Don't be in such a rush, Hee-Chan. Stay with me a while. Surely Seiji isn't that important."  
  
"It is an order." Heero responded. He was trying very hard to keep his mind on the mission and away from Duo's burning eyes.  
  
"Forget orders." Duo put his hands on Heero's shoulders and just rested them there. "Just this once."  
  
Suddenly, rough hands grabbed him from behind. Heero looked over his shoulder at the blue haired man he'd punched earlier. He got ready to fight again, but Duo's hands suddenly changed. He looked back and found that Duo was gone, replaced by a tall man with long white curling hair and an eye patch. The pale man smirked down at him. "I fooled you, didn't I?"  
  
Heero glared and each man took one of his arms, escorting him down the hall. Heero walked wordlessly and tried to think of a way out of this, but the bigger men were holding him very firmly and he could tell that even he wasn't strong enough to break away from them. The white haired man looked at the blue haired one. "You're an idiot, Anubis."  
  
"Give me a break, Rajura." The blue haired one shot back. "How was I to know such a skinny kid could pack a punch like that?"  
  
Rajura shook his head. "I'm a failure as a teacher. Falling for an attack like that and being forced to chase a child down the halls of your own home. Pitiful."  
  
"Let's get this over with." Anubis grumbled as they came to a large metal door. "I still don't like this."  
  
"We don't have to like it, we just have to do it. Where's Naaza?"  
  
"He went to find Nasutei-sama. She ran off when he stepped out of the room for a minute."  
  
Just as Anubis said this, Naaza and Nasutei came around the corner. "Heero, are you all right?" Nasutei asked, worriedly.  
  
Heero didn't bother to waste his energy answering her. He was alive so of coarse he was all right.   
  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
The door in front of them swung open and Nasutei got her first look at Arago, emperor of the Nether Realms.  
  
Nasutei nearly fainted at the sense of pure evil that saturated the room and leaked out now that the door was opened. In all the battles she'd seen and been through, Nasutei had never been so afraid. All she wanted to do was run away, get as far away as possible. She started to pull away from Naaza's arm desperately, but the cobra master grabbed her arm firmly and whispered,  
  
"Do not run, Nasutei-sama. I will protect you as best as I can, but do not run or you will surely be killed."  
  
She was shaking with terror and looked up at Naaza. "Please," She whispered. "Don't make me go in there!" The ghostly mask floated above the floor and there was no humanity, no mercy in it. Just evil. All her courage from when she'd gone through the palace vanished at the feeling of that horrible mask.  
  
"Courage." Rajura told her softly. "We are with you, Nasutei-sama." With that last bit of encouragement, they all entered and the door swung closed behind them.  
  
  
  
  
With the door closed, Naaza hurriedly whispered to Nasutei, "Just stand next to me and don't move. If he speaks to you, you must answer. Don't try to escape or run, that would be very unwise."  
  
Once they all stood in front of the mask, Naaza, Rajura, and Anubis all let go of the two humans and fell to their knees before it, lowering their head respectfully. "Master," Rajura said. "We have brought a host body for Lord Badamon to use instead of Kay. This boy is strong and skilled in war. He will be an excellent host and he is able to become an armor bearer." Then he gestured to Nasutei. "We have also brought the girl as bait to lure the Troopers here."  
  
"You have done well, my Ma-Sho. I sense another in the palace besides these two. Who is the other?"  
  
"It is the bearer of Suiko, my master." Naaza answered. "We captured him, but he was injured in the battle and has not woken up."  
  
Arago laughed and Nasutei started to shake again at the horrible laugh. "Bring me the boy's armor, my Ma-Sho."  
  
Anubis hesitated to answer. "My emperor, that is not exactly possible. The armor left the boy as soon as he was injured and we do not know where it has gone."  
  
A moment of silence from Arago was as threatening as his echoing voice. "Find the armor, but guard the boy. I will not lose one of the bearers."  
  
Heero looked for an escape, not really listening to the words of the impossibility before him. This thing could not exist therefor it did not. This must be some kind of hallucination, perhaps he was drugged.  
  
The floating mask said, "Take the boy to the pit and ready him for Badamon."  
  
Anubis and Rajura seized Heero again by the arms and pulled him out of the room. "Wait!" Nasutei started to follow, but Naaza took her arm.   
  
"We will go with them, I'm afraid. You will not like what you see, Nasutei-Domo. Badamon will take him now."   
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
Their hands were so tight on his arms as they led him away. They were going down, he realized, down into the depths of the palace, the halls were becoming less and less well formed, turning more into caves. The hallway suddenly gave way to a large opening with only a few feet to stand on before a deep pit. His two captors shoved Heero and he fell, feeling heat rise up at him.  
  
Heero was thrown in a pit of thick red syrup-like stuff. It clung to his arms and he couldn't make his legs work. It hurt! Heero wouldn't let himself scream. He had a poison tooth, if only he could concentrate enough to get it loose. He would have to die before taking orders from someone other than Dr. J. It was his duty. The burning stuff clung to him and Heero imagined that this was what napalm felt like. He wiggled the fake tooth with his tongue, the molar that Dr. J had implanted long ago. It was loose and would just take another few minutes to get it out where he could crush it with his teeth and let out the cyanide.  
  
His mind was growing foggy. Heero struggled to get a hold of himself, but a shadow was creeping across his thoughts and he forgot to kill himself. Why wasn't Duo here to rescue him? Had Duo forgotten him? Maybe Duo didn't really love him as he'd claimed so many times and had decided to just leave him here.  
  
Maybe he should kill Duo. Images of Duo's cold, pale body were satisfying and pleased him. Heero thought, in the back of his mind, that these were odd thoughts, not the kind that he usually had. He saw himself in Wing Zero firing on the Earth, the source of all his pain in life. The reason Dr. J had tortured him as a child for training was because of Earth. Destroy Earth!  
  
Then there was Dr. J. He had to die, also. The self-righteous old man, so arrogant and demanding. Always wanted Heero to do his dirty work and gave nothing in return. He had robbed Heero of his life and any family he might have had, Dr. J deserved to die.   
  
Some force gripped Heero suddenly and pulled him out of the ooze, his head lolled back, imagining the pain he could inflict. The death he could wreak and the blood he would spill.   
  
They would all die.   
  
DIE!  
  
  
Continue... 


	12. Chapter 12   Naaza

Author's note: By the way, in case you can't tell, I'm a Ma-Sho (warlord) fan and I write them the way I like. I know they're out of character, but I'm the writer so I do what I bloody well please.  
  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
  
  
  
  
Rajura and Anubis held Heero firmly, though his limp body held little resistance, while Naaza fastened the heavy manacles around the boy's wrists. Heero was left hanging, his head lolled down on his chest. As he fastened the chains, Naaza heard the boy mumbling,   
  
"Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill."  
  
It was chilling, even to Naaza who'd seen and done so many monstrous things in his past. The cryptic chant was unnerving and Naaza secured the boy as much for his own safety as for theirs. Until Badamon took control of the boy, he would be very, very dangerous, both to others and to himself. It had been a bad day when they'd pulled little Kay out of the red goo and she'd attacked them before trying to kill herself. They'd only just saved her in time.  
  
Once the boy was safely chained, Rajura carefully hung a metal plate of metal around Heero's neck. The elaborate thing looked as if it had been made purely for decoration, but Badamon created it, as a way of controlling and entering a living soul. Kay wore one also, though she hated the heavy thing, she had been told that she must keep it on all the time. They just never told her why she had to wear it all the time.  
  
Naaza, with his brothers, walked back to where they'd left Nasutei. She was watching fearfully near a wall, far to wise to try and run away again. She now knew that there was no escaping as they could easily capture her again. They all watched for a moment while Heero swayed, not looking up and clearly not aware of what was going on around him. His muscles, lean and powerful, rolled under his skin as if he were fighting to do something, though he didn't really move.   
  
What thoughts were going on in his mind, no one could tell, the purification often brought out hidden strengths and power. Of coarse, it also causes madness, such as Sh'ten had suffered just before his betrayal. Naaza himself often thought of little during his purification, the painful time when Emperor Arago decided they needed more strength for a particular battle. His thoughts were often drawn to a warm stone that he would like to sleep on. Cool breezes in the tall grass and a cold, impartial mind examining the world. Unfortunately, this only reinforced his opinion that, as the years passed, he was becoming less human and more serpent.  
  
Rajura had once confessed that he experienced more physical reactions to the purification and, in fact, quite enjoyed them. Looking at Rajura's mind, Naaza had seen images himself, Anubis, Sh'ten and, strangely, of Hardrock, the Trooper's strong man. It wasn't unusual for Rajura to be thinking of them, he'd had physical relationships with them all in his time as a Ma-Sho. But Hardrock? Where on Earth did that come from? What could Rajura see in that muscle brained simpleminded cretin?  
  
Oh, well, each to their own.   
  
Anubis would never speak of his experiences in the purification and neither would Sh'ten. They would both need hours to recuperate after a session in the goo.  
  
"Please don't do this." Nasutei, once again, asked. Noone answered her and she really hadn't expected an answer. They'd all ready told her that there was no stopping Arago's wish.   
  
  
  
Badamon appeared, floating, as usual, near the doorway and stared intently at Heero. The silence was broken only by the sound of Heero's continuous chanting, "Kill. Kill. Kill." Anubis put a hand on Nasutei's shoulder when he noticed she'd started to shiver.  
  
"It got so cold, suddenly." She said, almost to herself.  
  
"You don't have to watch." He told her, sympathetically. Frankly, he really didn't like this any better. But it was duty and Emperor Arago had ordered it. But, she was just a girl and had no reason for watching this.  
  
Badamon examined the sweating, panting Heero. "He is prepared." The spirit declared almost joyfully. "My new host will serve me well."  
  
Heero suddenly stopped the mantra he'd adopted from the pit of ooze. The eerie silence was almost worse than when he was talking. Heero looked up and met Badamon's eyes without fear. His eyes were clear and very focused as he looked at each of the people in the room in turn. In the end, his eyes went back to Badamon. "Die." He snarled and lurched forward. Heero's strength was so great that the chains holding him in place strained and creaked. He pulled so hard against them that blood started to drip down him arms from where the manacles were cutting into his wrists.  
  
The Ma-Sho all jumped back, surprised and frightened at the violent reaction. Anubis looked at Rajura with wide eyes. "He's creepy." Anubis muttered and he wasn't talking about Badamon. Rajura nodded in agreement.   
  
Badamon couldn't stop laughing at the enraged Heero, completely beyond his senses with the influence of the purification. "Yes, little one. Fight! You will be magnificent with a little improvement." Badamon held up his arms and a great rush of wind suddenly filled the room. He shot himself at Heero.  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
Nasutei watched with horror. She couldn't let this happen! It was all in slow motion, but her heart was pounding so hard. Heero didn't deserve this! He had to survive, just in case he was needed to wear the armor and she would do anything necessary to save him.  
  
The one obstacle in her path was Naaza's hand on her shoulder. Hoping that she wouldn't make him to angry, Nasutei turned her head and bit him on the back of his hand.  
  
Naaza cried out and snatched his hand away from her, surprised at the attack and Nasty burst out running as fast she could. She heard the Ma-Sho shout out behind her to stop, but she had to do this. Nasty was just in time to jump between Heero and Badamon. She saw the horrible eyes as the creature dove into her, like a sword ripping through chest, carving her in half.  
  
The pain was incredible and her mouth fell open with shock. She fell backwards, knocking into Heero before sliding down him to the floor. Agony! She gasped, almost unable to breathe from the pain. It felt as if someone were scooping out her insides with a spoon. A dull spoon. Someone was inside her! She could feel him, twisting and writhing as he struggled to find a point to gain a hold, but couldn't find it. The creature was furious, screaming in her mind, pounding at her.   
  
Indescribable pain filled her to the point that she was unaware of the strong arms lifting her or the men talking around her.  
  
  
  
Naaza-  
  
  
  
"Stop!" Naaza shouted, seeing Nasutei-sama start running toward the two. Doesn't she realize how dangerous the situation is? We all started to go to her, but we were to late and she interrupted Badamon on his way into the boy.  
  
Naaza caught Nasutei as she fell and lowered her head gently onto his lap as she screamed, starring up at them, though she really didn't seem to see them. Her mouth was open as the piercing screech echoed though in the room, her expression terrified. The three Ma-Sho's looked at each other, confused and scared. This had never happened before. Rajura snapped at Naaza. "Give her something!"  
  
Nodding, Naaza put a finger to her cheek, and scratched her cheek slightly, drawing a bit of blood and letting a drug into her system. Under his fingernails, Naaza had a powerful natural drug that put people into a deep, dreamless sleep. Within just moments, Nasutei's screams started to lessen and she lay in Naaza's lap, panting for breath. Her eyes focused on them for a moment. "Can't let Heero...danger." Her eyes closed and she muttered, "He doesn't deserve it."   
  
Her voice trailed away as the drug took full effect leaving the Ma-Sho looking at each other more confused than before.  
  
"What was that all about?" Anubis asked. No one had any answers so Anubis continued. "What do we do now?" He looks down at the young woman.  
  
None of them had a clue. Heero was still hanging from his wrists and Rajura suggested the get the boy down before he bled to death. Unfortunately, he was still awake and fighting against his bonds. Heero looked at them and snarled. "All die!" His eyes were dilated with madness and drool ran down his chin. "I'll kill you all!"  
  
"Maybe you'd better put him to sleep, too." Anubis told Naaza rather nervously. They really didn't want to hurt the crazy kid if he tried to fight while they released him.  
  
Not letting go of Nasutei, Naaza reached over to Heero's leg, bare from the knee down, and scratched him. It didn't take so long for Heero to calm down. His eyes fell closed and they all just watched him for a moment. "Is he asleep?" Rajura asked.  
  
Naaza nodded. "Should be. I don't know about him, though. There seems to be something odd about him." Naaza was still worried about all this. If everything had gone according to plan, Heero would now be Badamon and Nasutei would likely be a permanent guest. (After all, they were gentlemen and would never take a lady prisoner!) But none of them knew if Nasutei would survive Badamon as she hadn't been "prepared" for him.   
  
Looking back down at Nasutei, Rajura said, "You realize that even if Emperor Arago lets us live for this, Sh'ten's going to kill us."  
  
"What?" Anubis asked. "Why? She's just a girl."  
  
Rajura rolled his eyes as he took a set of keys from Naaza and unchained Heero. "Idiot. Sh'ten's in love with her. Can't you tell?"  
  
Naaza shut his eyes, not wanting to here that.  
  
"Really?" Anubis asked. "I hadn't noticed."  
  
Naaza felt the girl's head in his lap grow heavy and his rage build. He was starting to shake.  
  
"Sure. I saw it the last time we saw them together, the way he looked at her..."  
  
"Shut up!" Naaza shouted, drawing strange looks from the others. "You don't know what you're talking about!" With that, he picked up Nasutei and carried her out of the room.  
  
"What died in his shorts?" Anubis asked Rajura.  
  
Rajura picked up Heero and easily carried him out, following Naaza. He whispered to Anubis, "He's still pissed that Sh'ten left without telling him."  
  
Anubis frowned. "What's he so upset about? I thought they hated each other now anyway."  
  
Rajura smiled, "My love, don't be so blind. Even I can see he's pining away for Sh'ten. When Sh'ten abandoned us for the mortal world, it hurt Naaza very much. Now this girl shows up and he knows Sh'ten loves her now."   
  
While they walked, a few paces behind Naaza they spoke, a little louder so he could hear them, "Well, I suppose we should tell emperor Arago what happened. Badamon is still in Nasutei-sama, so maybe she is strong enough to fight him. She wasn't purified by the spirits, like the boy was." Rajura said. "Let's take her some place to rest. Heero, too."  
  
Naaza grumbled up at him, from where he was walking up ahead. "You do realize that their little friends are probably on their way to rescue them, don't you? They won't let this rest."  
  
They all knew it was true, if they had to give the Troopers credit for one thing, it would be for their tenacity. The little brats wouldn't give up easily. "Should we put her in the dungeon?" Anubis asked, only to be turned on by his friends.  
  
Rajura snapped. "You idiot! She's a lady, we can't put her down there!"  
  
Naaza supported Rajura, "Baka, she's all ready afraid and now possessed. If she manages to wake up and without Badamon in command, waking up in the dungeon would terrify her."  
  
"But we can't let the Troopers just have her back." Anubis defended himself. "We went to all the trouble to capture her, we might as well keep her."  
  
"She isn't a stray dog!" Naaza told him sourly, stopping so the others could catch up with him. "They can both use one of our chambers. They're as safe as the dungeons."  
  
Anubis shook his head. "Not mine. If the dungeon wouldn't be good for her, then my room is definitely out. I don't think it would be good for her to wake up in my room."  
  
That was readily agreed on. Anubis' room was not a nice place for a young lady.  
  
"My room doesn't offer much in the way of protection," Rajura said. "When I'm not there. I can use my illusions to keep others out, but I can't stay there all the time. The boy can stay there, but Nasutei should be a little better protected, I think."  
  
Naaza couldn't quite stop the smirk as he looked down at the girl in his arms. "Then it's my room."  
  
Rajura looked at him suspiciously. "You don't look to upset."  
  
"Why should I be?" Part of him hated himself for volunteered to give up his room to this girl who had stole Sh'ten's heart. But, he would take care of her for Sh'ten's sake. He never wanted Sh'ten to be unhappy, not really.  
  
"What if she doesn't like snakes?" Rajura asked.  
  
Naaza gave him a surprise look. "Who couldn't like snakes?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Later, after the two mortals had been safely put to bed, they'd all discussed what to tell Emperor Arago. It had been difficult, but Rajura finally thought of a way to put the whole situation on someone else's shoulders other than theirs.   
  
Rajura bowed respectfully to the giant floating mask. "My lord, it's about Lord Badamon."  
  
"Yes, what it is?"  
  
"He flamingoed up, sir."  
  
"..."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"I heard you. He what?"  
  
Rajura looked at the floor trying to conceal his smirk and Anubis was giggling into his hand. "He flamingoed up, sir. It's like a cock up, only much, much larger."  
  
Anubis couldn't help himself and fell on the floor, laughing insanely. Naaza was crying, trying to keep a straight face. Rajura continued to look at the floor, his own smile threatening to crack.  
  
Arago, all powerful emperor demon of infinite power, face-faulted, crashing down on the stone floor of his own castle. With an effort, he raised himself to find his three Ma-Sho standing up with serious faces again. "What happened?" Arago grumbled angrily. He seriously suspected that they were playing some game with him, though he couldn't tell what it was. (Arago doesn't watch Red Dwarf!)  
  
"As per your orders, my master, we took the girl Nasutei to witness the boy's transformation, but Lord Badamon went into the body of the human girl, Nasutei, instead of the boy, Heero. We really don't know what he was thinking, but now he is trapped there and the boy is still free of his influence." Rajura explained. "The girl is asleep and we do not know when or if she will awaken."  
  
"Kill the girl and release Lord Badamon's spirit." Arago ordered without hesitation.  
  
"But, sir!" Naaza protested. "We don't know what affect that will have on Lord Badamon. He may not be able to escape with her spirit and be lost forever. Perhaps we could let her awaken naturally and then he would be freed." Naaza prayed he didn't sound too hopeful. The thought of letting an innocent woman get killed for the sake of that disgusting Badamon was simply nauseating. Besides the fact that it would make Sh'ten unhappy.   
  
Silence filled the room. IS HE FALLING FOR IT? Anubis asked his brothers.  
  
I CAN'T TELL. Rajura answered and was very grateful that Arago didn't know about their psychic link. In all the many centuries they'd been servants of Emperor Arago, none of them had ever let it slip that they could communicate like this.  
WE HAVE TO HOPE FOR THE BEST. WE CAN'T GO AGAINST HIM IF HE SAYS WE HAVE TO KILL HER.  
  
"Very well, my Ma-Sho. Care for the girl until she wakes. Where is the boy?"  
  
Anubis stepped forward. "We put him in the dungeon, my lord."  
  
"You may leave." Arago dismissed them and the Ma-Sho walked out together.   
  
Once they were in the hall, Rajura turned on Anubis, grabbing him by the collar and heaving him up against the wall. "What do you mean, we put him in the dungeon?"  
  
Anubis, still in Rajura's grasp, giggled. "We put him in your room. That's pretty close to a dungeon as far as I can tell."  
  
Rajura set his lover down with a hurt expression. "You don't like my room?" He pouted.  
  
Anubis felt bad, but not all that much. "Well, it's just not my taste. I wonder what his reaction will be like when he wakes up. If the effect of the purification has worn off."  
  
"With my venom, the effects will be completely gone." Naaza shrugged. "Don't get to curious, though. From what I've seen of this boy, he is completely fearless. A perfectly trained soldier who balks at nothing. Rajura's room isn't going to faze him one little bit."  
  
  
  
  
In Rajura's Room-  
  
  
  
  
Heero was frozen with fear, backed as far against a wall as he could possibly get. He was shaking with terror and tears fell freely down his face.   
  
SPIDERS!!!!  
  
Oh, Crap! Of all things, why did he have to wake up in a room filled with spiders? Big, scary, hairy, spiders! Everywhere! All around him, on the floors and the walls, hanging from thick webs on the ceiling and crawling over the large rafters. Everywhere, big ones, little ones, they were everywhere!!!  
  
Evil little monsters!  
  
Hated beasts!  
  
Heero never told anyone, but his only fear, his only weakness was spiders. Dr. J had never thought to kill that weakness. Even Heero hadn't known he was afraid of them until he'd woken up during a training session with one of the eight legged brutes sitting on his chest looking down at him with its huge pincers! Weakness was not acceptable, so Heero had never mentioned this fear to anyone. God forbid Duo finding out about this.  
  
Alone, in the darkened room with the spiders moving and creeping, the candlelight casting their shadows as big as greyhounds, Heero whimpered softly, "Duo, save me!"  
  
"Did you say something?" Heero looked up at the voice to see a white haired man hanging by his feet from the rafters, knitting. The man had a patch over one eye and long white/silver hair. He was also wearing a pink bathrobe.   
  
For once, completely unable to deal with the situation, Heero fainted.  
  
  
  
Rajura-  
  
  
Rajura watched the boy for a moment and wondered what had spooked him. Oh, well, probably still stressed from the whole 'Badamon trying to possess him' thing. Rajura, still upside down, went back to his knitting. Anubis needed a new cape and this one would be lovely.  
  
  
  
Naaza-  
  
  
Naaza scratched his leg, drawing blood. "Damn it, Sh'ten!" He grumbled, trying to keep the tears from falling. The itching was so much worse this year and Naaza firmly believed that it was because Sh'ten wasn't here to rub the oil on his peeling skin. Nasutei-Domo had thought that he'd been joking when he'd told her that he shed his skin, but it was no joke and it definitely wasn't funny.  
  
He switched to his left arm, trying desperately to get the flaking skin, the source of the unbearable irritation, to come off. He'd attacked his face again, and could now feel the blood seeping down to his chin. "Sh'ten, you couldn't have picked a better time to abandon us, could you?" He asked the silent room sarcastically. "Just at the twenty year mark!" He dipped his fingers into the sticky ointment that he kept in a jar next to his bed and smeared the smelly stuff all over his arm.  
  
An itch on the bottom of his foot was the next place that got his attention. Damn! Naaza quickly ripped his boot off and attacked the sole of his foot. It was all ready raw from yesterday, but the skin was still not quite ready to come off. In the past, Sh'ten had sat with him through the long torturous hours and read to Naaza from one of his numerous books to take his mind off the itching. Sh'ten was also kind enough to help him put on the foul smelling ointment that never wanted to wash off your hands. Naaza had created the ointment himself long ago, but there were certain spots where it was to difficult to reach and Sh'ten just had such a soothing touch.  
  
Even if they were fighting at the time, Sh'ten would be there to comfort him. This was the first time in four hundred or so years that he was alone when it was time to shed his skin.  
  
Back! Naaza reached desperately to find the spot on his back, but his arms just weren't long enough. Now he did start to cry, the irritation was quickly turning to pain and he knew it would soon be over. The pain meant the skin was almost ready to come off, but it was still hours away. Maybe a full day.  
  
Finally, giving up on suffering in dignified privacy, Naaza jumped up and tore off down the hall to the baths. One luxury was that there was always a heated, steaming bath waiting to be enjoyed. Rajura had managed to convince Arago long ago that it was necessary for them to wash directly after a battle or they're health might be affected and likewise, their performance in the next battle. Thanks to that, they always had warm baths waiting. Naaza ignored the soldiers, knocking several over in his hurry to get to the baths. The steaming water helped almost as much as the ointment did. The door was shoved open and Naaza dove into the steaming water joyously.   
  
It was a magnificent splash, throwing water everywhere.   
  
"Ahhhh!" Naaza came out of the water just in time to hear Rajura's complaint. "Watch where you're splashing, Naaza!"  
  
"Ask me if I care!" Naaza shot back at Rajura. He hadn't noticed the other Ma-Sho soaking at the other side of the pool. A slow smile spread across his face when the relief started to hit. It wouldn't last long, but he would enjoy it while it lasted. Like a contented cat, Naaza started to rub his back against the hard stone side of the bath. "I feel soooo much better." Naaza purred.  
  
"Do you want help to rub your skin? You only have to ask." Rajura offered.  
  
Naaza sniffed at him. "No. You're to rough!"  
  
"What about Anubis? He'd help you."  
  
"His hands are to cold. He does more harm that good! I want Sh'ten!"  
  
Large hands began rubbing his shoulders. "Stop being a baby, Naaza." Anubis told him from where he was now kneeling behind Naaza on the stone surface surrounding the bath. Despite his earlier protests, Naaza let Anubis rub his itching shoulders. Rajura stood and splashed his way over, sitting in front of Naaza and took one foot in his hands.   
  
Rajura, with his wet hair sticking to his shoulders, smiled up at him. "Anubis is right. You know you like it."  
  
They spoke quietly together, massaging and trying to gently peel away what dead skin they could find. Suddenly, the hands on his shoulders moved to his neck and then stopped. "Naaza?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"They're spreading again."  
  
Naaza froze. "Where?"  
  
Anubis ran a finger up Naaza's neck and into his thick green hair. "Right up into your hair." Anubis replied quietly.  
  
Naaza stood up, suddenly not wanting anyone to touch him. "I'm going back to my chambers." He told them. Rajura looked up at him with pity.   
  
"Don't you want..."  
  
"No!" Naaza replied, more sharply than he'd intended. "The water doesn't help any more, I have to get some more ointment." Naaza nearly ran out of the room, trying not to think about how he must look. Usually, he couldn't see any new scales or other differences until after he shed. If it were changing all ready, then it would probably be bad when the skin finally did come off.   
  
Monster. He was a monster! How the others could dare to touch him was a mystery. God knows if he were someone else, he wouldn't touch himself!  
  
  
  
  
Laying in bed, on his stomach, Naaza was trying to think of something. It didn't matter, really, just so long as it took his mind off his misery. Last nights dinner or training, a new chemical he was developing, battle plans for the next fight with the Troopers, anything!   
  
Small, slender hands touched his back and he could feel silk hair fall onto his shoulders as if someone were leaning over him. Someone was sitting on him. Then there was the smell of cinnamon. "Sh'ten?" Naaza tried to sit up, but was held down by one of the slim hands. Was his brother really back? Or was it a trick of his mind?  
  
The person settled themselves on his back and started to rub skillfully at all the minor irritations and in all the places that were rubbed, Naaza felt immense relief. They sat like that for a very long time with Sh'ten moving from Naaza's lower back up to his scalp, running his fingers in through Naaza's hair, a place that might have gotten forgotten.  
  
"Sh'ten?" Naaza asked, unwilling to break the spell by speaking loudly.  
  
There was no answer. Naaza was terribly disappointed. This must be a hallucination brought on by the pain. Still, it was terribly life like.   
  
A small kiss touched the middle of his back, making Naaza remember times long ago. He had to remind himself that it was his own mind playing tricks on him. Sh'ten wasn't really here.  
  
"You love her, don't you?" Naaza asked suddenly, looking at Nasutei's sleeping form on the spare cot he'd moved into his room. He wanted to stay like this forever with the feeling that Sh'ten was right here.  
  
Sh'ten, or at least, Naaza's image of Sh'ten, never paused, but kept rubbing in large, comforting circles.   
  
"Answer me. Do you love Nasutei?" Naaza demanded again. He really didn't want to think about this, but he just had to know. Not that it would make any difference as Sh'ten wasn't really here.  
  
"Yes." Sh'ten answered. "I do."  
  
Naaza bit his lip to stifle a sob. He felt the full length of Sh'ten's body lay down on top of him and the silk hair caress his cheek as Sh'ten kissed the back of his head. 'I knew it! Sh'ten is as repulsed by I inhuman appearance as I am.' Naaza just wanted to cry. But, why was Sh'ten kissing him? Oh, yeah. It was just his imagination. Damn.  
  
"No. That has nothing to do with this." Sh'ten told him. "I have fallen in love with her. I still love you, but I also love her. Please, don't think so little of me that you think I would judge you by your skin."  
  
Why would his mind say that? Wouldn't he tell himself that Sh'ten really wanted to come back to him? This was all to strange. "I just want to be with you again, Oni-Chan." He whispered. Another soft kiss on his throat, this time. "I wish we'd never fought."  
  
"We will be together again, Naotoki." Sh'ten's voice said softly, using Naaza's real name. "We just have to wait a little while and we will all be together again. I know it."  
  
  
To be continued... 


	13. Chapter 13   Reunion

Chapter 13  
  
  
  
  
Sh'ten-  
  
  
The walk was long, but not unpleasant, and I took great pleasure in seeing my home again. "Apparently no one has noticed that we are here." Touma commented as he walked ahead. His bow held easily in one hand with one of his unlimited golden arrows all ready cocked and aimed.  
  
Wufei shook his head. "That doesn't say much for defenses. Perhaps this will be easier than you were letting on." He looked at me and I can't help but feel a little insulted. As if I don't know my own home and family!  
  
The troopers all looked at each other and almost laughed. "Don't I wish." Shu said. "Little Panda, this place is not like Earth. There are different rules here." I'm pleased that they at least have learned to take the power of Arago seriously. My brothers may have their quirks, but none of them are stupid.  
  
"What sort of rules?" Wufei asked, quickening his step to walk by Shu. I don't think any of us have missed the connection that seems to be growing between the two.  
  
"Well, for starters, don't believe what you see. Rajura can be a jerk." Shu left it at that as if it would explain everything. Well, much as I love Rajura, Shu is right. He can be a jerk.  
  
"He likes you well enough." I told Shu softly. I should have known to keep my big mouth shut and usually I'm better at being tactful, but hanging around the children must be effecting me. Shu didn't react, as if he never heard me, but Wufei was suddenly standing in front of me with a nasty look on his face. His eyes were narrowed and his face was a lovely shade of red.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
I started to sweat. "Er...nothing." As I said, I'd seen that Wufei was growing closer to Shu, but I had no idea that he felt this strongly. It was just an off hand comment, after all.  
  
"You said the enemy likes Shu!" Wufei accused and I started to back away from the seemingly deranged little man. Wufei was truly acting like a man who'd lost his mind, his eyes were practically glowing with rage.  
  
"Calm down." I tried to soothe, but Wufei was having none of it and advanced, as if he would attack me. Now, everyone was staring and even Shu looked surprised at the reaction.  
  
"Who am I going to have to kill? That Rajura character? Answer me!" Wufei reached for the scimitar that was hanging on his hip and I knew that this could get dangerous. Wufei may be a child, but so were the Troopers, and I certainly wouldn't want to face Seiji unarmed. Shu stepped forward with a nervous smile.   
  
"Hey, relax, Little Panda." He put a hand on Wufei's shoulder, but was quickly shrugged off.  
  
"I will have an answer! I don't share!" Wufei drew his gleaming sword with the sound of metal against metal, but before he could raise his sword properly, I raised my staff and rapped his wrist with the end, just hitting a cluster of nerves.  
  
Wufei dropped the sword with a curse, clutching at his hand and glaring at me, violence in his eyes. The boy must be quite mad. Shu grabbed Wufei by the shoulders and pulled him away from Sh'ten. "Don't worry, Little Panda. Sh'ten's just kidding around."   
  
Wufei, calming down, apologized to Shu, but not to me. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."  
  
I wondered if Shu would ever find out that I'm not really kidding. Rajura wasn't known for giving up what he liked. Anubis might protest, but hey, Rajura would probably let him watch so he wouldn't fight all that much. Those two were pretty much open for anything.  
  
Trowa stayed near me to talk as we started walking again. "I would watch out, if I were you." He said in a voice I'd discovered was typical for him. A monotone voice that was soft as he stared ahead. "Wufei does not take defeat well."  
  
I looked at Trowa from under my hat. It would have been easy to dismiss the soft spoke young man, but it would be the same mistake as dismissing Shin. Neither was helpless or as weak as they often appeared. I knew, from experience, that Shin was a very dangerous enemy and, I expect, Trowa would be the same way. He strikes me as being the type of person who prefers to stay in the background and watch events unfold, then act when he has the most information possible. The fact that no one pays attention to him would be deliberate on his part.   
  
"I do not want to fight your friend." I told Trowa, but the young man with the strange hair, didn't even turn to look at me.  
  
I thought at once how it would be interesting to see this boy through Quarte's eyes and to know what makes Trowa so special to sweet Quarte. Unfortunately, now that I was a good guy, I suppose I shouldn't do things like that. Besides, Seiji was still guarding the minds of our newest brothers and he tended to think such little invasions were rude. He also tended to beat people he thought were rude, so I think I'll pass on this temptation.  
  
"That doesn't matter. You defeated him in front of everyone, before he'd even had a chance to draw his sword."   
  
"I will give him a rematch, if it pleases him, but unless he is wearing armor, I don't believe that he stands much of a chance." In truth, I was getting images in my mind about Wufei, things that one who held Kaosu's staff should not even consider. I though to how easy it would be to snap the boy's spine and leave him alive for future fun. How simple it would be to peel the skin from the meat of his flesh and slowly rub his bleeding body with salt water.  
  
I shook my head, trying to chase the evil thoughts from my mind. I am the Ma-Sho of cruelty, after all. I guess it's going to be harder to change than I'd thought. I had once had no difficulty acting on these instinctive urges, but now I was trying very hard to stop them. The power of the armor was bad enough, but if I held Kaosu's staff and decided to give in to these thoughts, it would be a very bad thing and I don't know if anyone could stop me.   
  
Best to think of more pleasant things. Nasutei, the way she looked in the morning, hair still tangled from sleep and blinking the sand out of her eyes as she headed to the coffeepot. Her sweet smile and sometimes easily triggered anger were what had drawn me to her at first, before she'd shown me her intelligence and insight. How could anyone resist a woman like her?   
  
My thoughts were drawn to her best friend, Ryo, probably still asleep outside the ruined mansion. He was another bright spot in everyone's lives. Ryo and Byakuen running through the forest, hunting with his bare hands and giving into the surpressed urge for the hunt. I'd seen him do this several times. He tried to stay civilized for the sake of his lover, Seiji, who was perhaps the most elegant, refined young man on the planet.   
  
Ryo would sneak out at night with his huge tiger and run into the forest, his eyes burning with the blood lust that would overtake him when they found the prey and brought it down. I'd seen Ryo with his mouth bathed in blood of his kill and gorged on the raw meat as he crept back into the house. I had seen him wash himself carefully before slipping back into the bed of the unsuspecting Seiji.  
  
My thoughts were interrupted when Duo stepped into a deep spot in the wetland, sinking into his hip. "Damn!" Duo screamed. "Get me outta here!" He started tugging frantically at his leg.  
  
Wufei smirked at him. "That will teach you to watch where you're going."  
  
"I WAS watching!" Duo snapped acidly. "Come on, someone help me!" Duo's other leg suddenly sank in and he was now waist deep in water. Something was wrong about this. There were no sinkholes in this part of the marsh, I'm sure of it.   
  
Shu, being the strongest, saw it as an easy job to get Duo out of the muck, but as he tugged, his own feet started to sink. "What the?" He started, staring at his feet. "I can't move!" Shu was tugging at his feet that were still sinking, though not as quickly as Duo's.   
  
The others all went forward when I suddenly remembered what was nagging at the back of my mind. "Stop!" I ordered.   
  
Everyone looked at me. "What is it?" Touma asked.  
  
"We have to get them out of there." Quarte said, worried as Duo was still sinking and was now up to his chest in the water and mud.  
  
"This isn't right. There are no sinkholes. There must be something going on." I raised my staff and concentrated. The thing is still very much a mystery to me, but I've found that if I trust it, the staff knows what to do all on it's own. The water around Shu and Duo started to bubble weirdly and I looked at Quarte. "You have the power to control water. Move it away from them."  
  
Quarte looked doubtful, but pointed his yari at the water. He frowned and let the power out. It was perhaps, a small example of the power of Suiko, but the foot or so of water rushed away from their feet, revealing...Oh, dear Kami!  
  
A monster I knew as a randamar. The thing was huge and my brothers and I had never found a way of killing the things. The things were disgusting creatures that couldn't rightly be called animals. No animal could be so hideous. Shu and Duo were both stuck in the top of its rubbery head and it didn't look happy that its meal was being interrupted. They were lazy creatures and it didn't bother to move as it ate its prey, just stay laying in the mud and muck.  
  
The randamar was not exactly a meat eater, but it absorbed its food from any part of its body and Duo was going in quickly. "We have to get them out!" I shouted. "If they are absorbed whole, there's no hope for them!"  
  
Everyone attacked.  
  
Wufei and Trowa held back, and I was glad. They had no hope of handling the creature so it was best for them to leave this to the ones with power. Shu was the first to use his weapon, the heavy staff, and he aimed it at the creature's head with the cry, "Thunder Rock Crusher!" The world shook, but the apathetic thing devouring them didn't seem to notice. Several of its eyes peered open before it lost interest and closed them again to concentrate on digesting.  
  
Touma aimed his arrow at the eyes of the randamar, but the thick skin of its eyes deflected the arrow easily. Touma gaped in shock, nothing had ever dismissed his Arrow Shock Wave like that.  
  
Duo finally seemed to remember the swords on his back and brought them out to start hacking away at the randamar, but it was getting more difficult as he was up to his neck now and his arms were being swallowed. Duo's eyes were growing panicked and real fear was growing on his face.  
  
Seiji raised his sword to attack, when, for some ungodly reason, Trowa jumped into the fight. He grabbed Duo's arms and started to pull at him. This only irritated the randamar more. It was enough of an irritation that it raised a lazy tentacle and swatted at Trowa, knocking him several meters. He landed hard and didn't get up.  
  
I could feel Quarte's mind snapped and bright red fury spread through all our minds, leaking out from his. He was staring at the creature with hate and his sweet expression twisted into an unhealthy grimace. His eyes were wide and shining.  
  
QUARTE, USE THE SUPER WAVE SMASHER. Seiji told him. WE CAN ATTACK TOGETHER. Seiji raised his sword, trying to get Quarte's attention, but Quarte didn't move, apparently hadn't heard Seiji.  
  
I took a peek into his mind, thrown wide open by his anger, and saw only fury that this thing had dared to hurt HIS Trowa. Few things angered Quarte, but when he was truly angry, look out! This I got from Duo's mind who also wasn't thinking about keeping his thoughts closed as he struggled for life. Duo was up to his chin, but still had sense to look at me.  
  
GET WUFEI AND TROWA OUT OF HERE! THEY'LL GET KILLED!  
  
WE'RE NOT LEAVING YOU. I told Duo. I turned my thoughts to Quarte and was going to try and settle his mind, when he did something very unexpected.  
  
Quarte dropped the yari and ran at the randamar, his hands outstretched and screaming. Before any of us could stop him, Quarte was touching the randamar, his armored hands sinking deep into its skin. The creature, thinking it had a new meal, gladly started to absorb Quarte into it. Unfortunately, for it, Quarte was smarter than it was.  
  
The blond boy suddenly smiled, an almost evil smile. "Die!" He yelled.  
  
It was an immediate effect. The randamar turned color from a dark brownish gray to a paler yellow. It let out an ear-piercing cry of pain as Quarte kept his hands as deep as possible. Only then did I see what Quarte was doing.  
  
From around the randamar, water was pouring out. Quarte was draining all the water out of it. It continued to dry out until the thing was reduced to mere dust and it crumbled at their feet, being washed away by the slight current. Duo and Shu stood up, shaken, but not really hurt. REMIND ME NOT TO GET ON HIS BAD SIDE. Touma commented to Shu, but let everyone hear it.  
  
Quarte was still standing, half crouched over with his hands like claws in front of him. He was panting heavily and drool seeped out of his mouth.  
  
"Quarte." We all turned to see Trowa, looking wet and bruised, but none the worse for wear. Quarte looked at him and instantly lost the expression of homicidal maniac.  
  
"Trowa! You're all right!" He ran to Trowa and hugged him tightly. "I was so worried, I thought you'd died! Don't you ever do that again." Quarte scolded gently.   
  
Surprisingly, Trowa looked at Quarte and kiss him on the cheek. "Then don't make me do something like that to get your attention. You could have killed that thing long before I jumped in."  
  
First Wufei and now Quarte, I found myself wondering if they were all mad.  
  
OH, NOT ALL OF US. Duo commented, apparently completely over the situation. I'M NOT INSANE. I DON'T THINK SO, ANYWAY.  
  
Looking at the long braided bearer of Recca, I wasn't entirely sure about that. Duo dusted himself off and stood up straight with a smile. "Are we going or what?"  
  
  
  
  
We came to the outer walls of the main palace several hours later and paused to think of a plan for getting in. The outer walls were built of huge blocks of stone, almost one hundred feet high and more than fifty feet wide. I'm not entirely sure why it was built like that. After all, Arago is master of all the Nether Realms, so why would he bother to build such walls? There were no enemies here to keep out and no prisoners, usually, to keep in.  
  
The palace was a small city made of many small buildings and roads. This was again, another mystery. Why build such a city when no one lived here? Only myself, my brothers, and Kay lived here and we certainly didn't need such an elaborate set up. Was it possible that someone else had lived here, long ago? Perhaps before Arago? Was there anyone before Arago?  
  
Enough with the questions, they wouldn't help us now. If we survive this battle, maybe I'll investigate.  
  
Duo didn't see the problem with getting through the wall. "I've seen Ryo use these things before." He held up the twin swords. "We'll just blast our way in. With these swords and all the other weapons, the wall will be rubble in a minute."  
  
Touma shook his head. "Not a good idea. We don't know where everyone's being held, so we might kill them by accident. Besides, the Ma-Sho's are very dangerous and there are other things in this place that are more dangerous. It would be better if we could just rescue them and get out without fighting. It's practically impossible, but it would be easier and safer that way."  
  
"So we're going to have to sneak in?" Shu asked, sounding disgusted. "Oh, man!"  
  
Trowa stepped forward. "Wufei and I should go scouting to find a safe way in."  
  
Everyone looked at him. "Maybe you should stay here." Shu suggested, trying not to sound offensive, but obviously worried about the defenseless pair in our group.  
  
"You are wearing heavy, clanking armor and that is not wise for stealth." Trowa told him coolly. "Wufei and I are more accustomed to this sort of mission, anyway."  
  
Quarte stepped forward. "I'll take off the armor and come with you, Trowa." He said.  
  
Trowa told him. "No. You are safer wearing the armor. You stay here and wait. I will be back soon."   
  
"He is quite right." Wufei added in. "You would attract to much attention and make to much noise. We will find a safe way in."  
  
I cleared my throat, getting everyone's attention. "I have lived here for four centuries. I do know my way around." I can't help being slightly insulted.  
  
Wufei gave him a flat look. "Don't you think they might have changed things or prepared for you coming back? Don't be a fool, they're probably waiting for you."  
  
My eye started twitching. "I had no intention of just walking in!" I said as calmly as I could. "But I do know several secret ways around the place. Hidden passages and the like."  
  
"Those were probably sealed up in case you just thought to use them in a sneak attack." Wufei countered.  
  
I sniffed. "Of coarse they weren't sealed up. Only Arago can seal the palace or change it and he never knew about the secrets ways my brothers and I found."  
  
"Your brothers must have told Arago when you left them where these passages were. That would be only sensible and the tactically correct thing to do."  
  
I replied, "What makes you think my brothers are sensible? We keep many secrets from Arago. There is no reason for him to know everything. Besides, I'm not wearing armor." I motioned down to my long monk's robes.  
  
Wufei snorted. "Fine, come along, but don't slow us down."   
  
Me slow them down?! They'll be luck if I don't lead them to some of Naaza's traps. He's never caught anyone, but he always liked setting traps. Bothersome little gnat. I was beginning to dislike Wufei.  
  
BE NICE. I looked at Shu who'd spoken and he was smiling. IF YOU HURT HIM, I'LL HURT YOU.  
  
I nodded slightly. I wasn't even thinking of hurting the arrogant little brat.  
  
Wufei and Trowa started to climb the steep wall, but I stayed where I was and asked, "Why don't you ask me where the secret entrance is?"  
  
"Well," Wufei asked, "Where is it?" His patience was starting to wear thin.  
  
With a superior smile, I pointed to the solid stone wall. Everyone glared at me and Duo patted me on the back. "Poor guy. All this adventure has made you lose your mind. I sympathize."   
  
"I am not insane!"  
  
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." Duo then whispered to Touma, "You've gotta humor crazy people. It's safer this way." Touma giggled with Duo.  
  
I've had about enough of these brats! No, no, I'm good now. I won't hurt them! Taking a deep breath, I gripped the staff hard enough that my knuckles turned white. Instead of doing anything, I might regret later, I turned and walked into the wall.  
  
  
  
Wufei-  
  
  
  
Everyone gaped at where Sh'ten had vanished into the seemingly solid wall. Shu slapped himself on the forehead. "Duh! Rajura's illusions!" Then he took Wufei by the arm and pushed him toward the wall. "Go on in. He's probably waiting for you on the other side. Be careful in there."  
  
"What?" Wufei couldn't stop himself as Shu pushed him into the wall. Instead of the wall, he connected with nothing. Walking through it as Sh'ten had done and found himself in a dark hall. Someone bumped into his back.  
  
"Wufei?" Trowa's voice asked.  
  
"I'm here." Wufei answered. "Where's Sh'ten?"  
  
Sh'ten sinister, angled face was suddenly lit up by the winged orb that was on the top of the staff he was holding. The effect was decidedly creepy. "As Shu told you earlier," Sh'ten said in a deadly serious tone. "Do not believe anything you see or hear. Rajura can be a jerk."   
  
With that he turned and walked away from them.  
  
Shrugging at each other, Wufei and Trowa followed.  
  
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
They had all been gone for only a few minutes when I felt the shadow near us. I can't say exactly how I felt it, but it was a familiar feeling. Sh'ten had told me that Anubis didn't abandon me as I'd thought. I'm still not sure if I can trust Sh'ten, but I desperately want to know what happened all those years ago.  
  
Everyone else was standing around the wall and watching for some threat or sign that the others were coming back, so it was easy for me to walk away slightly. I didn't go so far that I wasn't in plain sight, but it was far enough that I could think without interruption.  
  
The shadow was all around and, I'm sure that it's Anubis watching us. Or perhaps he's just watching me. I don't see him, but I can still feel him as I had all those years ago at Dr. J's training facility. I could always feel when Anubis was walking down the hall toward me and I knew where he was almost all the time.   
  
How could he have just abandoned me like that? He did promise that he would save me from Dr. J. Still, I had to admit, he would have brought me here to serve Arago and that's not exactly a step up. Was that why he'd come to me in the first place, to train me to fight for Arago and then claim me at the right time?  
  
God, I'm so confused! I pride myself on keeping myself calm and peaceful, but lately, with Heero turning up and Dr. J, then Anubis coming back into my mind, how can I be at all confident? I wanted all those memories buried and I had wanted to bury Anubis with them. Now...I'm not so sure.  
  
There was a wolf several yards in front of me. I stopped and just looked at it. I've always had a love for the wild and all animals, since that first day I came to Earth and saw things I'd never imagined existed, chipmunks and squirrels and birds and raccoons. How could anyone not love such creatures. I also loved wolves that were as beautiful as any of the other animals. This was no ordinary wolf, though. It was midnight black and stared at me with bright blue eyes. Under one of its eyes was a cross-shaped scar.  
  
I didn't dare look over my shoulder at the others, in case this was a trap, but in reality, I didn't want them to come over here. The wolf threw back its head slightly and shadows were drawn to it, swirling around the black figure like the thickest fog, wrapping around the wolf like tendrils of some monster. Slowly, the wolf changed and grew until it was no longer a wolf, but Anubis who stood before me, in his light, and his sword sheathed on his shoulders.   
  
"Well met again, Seiji." His voice is just as deep as I remembered it as he yelled at me to keep my arms loose when fighting.  
  
Can he possibly know how long I waited for him or how long I tried to keep my faith that he would return?  
  
We stood there awkwardly, neither knowing quite what to say. I'm not a talker at the best of times, but this was not easy. I know I should alert the others, but...  
  
"I...I meant to come back." Anubis told me softly. He sounded so unsure of himself, so sorry. I couldn't stand it.  
  
I attacked with my bare hands and he lurched backwards. I hate him! We fought for what seemed like hours, but it couldn't have been long before I kicked his knees out from under him, sending him flying to the ground. I stood over Anubis and paused trying to decide whether to kill him or send for the others. That was my mistake.  
  
Anubis hooked a foot behind one of my heels and I went down also. Before I knew what was happening, Anubis was sitting on my chest and pinning my arms down. I could see in his face, now that it wasn't covered by his helmet's facemask, that he really didn't want to fight me.  
  
With vengeance, I opened the gates of my mind and let loose at him a flood of scenes from my childhood after he'd left me. He reeled as he saw beatings and lessons on death. The drugs used to control me after he was no longer around to get them out of my system. Electroshock to train me into obedience and when it failed, they would try again. Days locked in a dark room without food for trying to run away again and how much I feared the dark because it was in that dark room that they would do the real torture. They would put live, starving rats in to bite me, leaving scars I have to this day. Sending in blinding light at the most unexpected times and flooding the room with water at other times. Darkness brought only pain and fear. I was alone. So very, very alone.   
  
Anubis saw and felt everything I'd ever been through and how much it had hurt that he'd left me to them. He saw Dr. J taking the short sword he'd given that day we sat in the training room.  
  
At that, he fell back, off me and onto his back, his hands at his head and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. I could see that he was biting his lip to stop himself from crying out. Quickly, so as to keep everyone else out of my mind, I closed it again and freed Anubis of my pain.  
  
He stopped shaking after a very short time and finally opened his eyes to look at me. We were both laying down now on our backs. "He took the sword." It was a statement, but seemed to be very important. In all that had happened in my short life, the sword had been my one connection to human kindness, even if it had been from a servant of evil.  
  
I nodded. "He took the sword."  
  
With a wave of his hand, Anubis vanished into the shadows with a whispered promise. "I'll get it back for you."  
  
  
  
  
I was still like that, laying on the ground, when the others found me. "We saw the shadows engulf you," Touma said. "But we couldn't find you in them. What happened?"  
  
ANUBIS. I told Touma and picked myself up off the ground before anyone could offer to help. I don't want help. I don't need it.  
  
"Are you all right?" Quarte asked, concerned.   
  
FINE. I sealed my mind against them and walked back to the wall of the palace to wait for the others to come back. I hope no one expects me to answer any questions about what happened in my little battle with Anubis. I'm not ready to talk about it. I'm not even sure I'm ready to think about it.  
  
  
  
Sh'ten-  
  
  
  
We all decided to go different ways in the palace, traveling through the walls and in the corridors. I told the two that we were looking for our captive friends, but if they didn't find anything to come back within thirty minutes or they could very well get hopelessly lost.  
  
I hadn't gone far in the walls when I came to a spot I'd never seen before. It was just a part of the corridor, but in one of the walls was a window and on the other side was Naaza's room. I saw Nasutei instantly, asleep on a cot near the opposite wall. It took a minute for me to realize this was not a window, but the mirror that had always hung in Naaza's room. How odd that we'd never discovered this before.  
  
I pushed gently on the mirror and found that it pivoted on an axis in the center. It would be very easy to get Nasutei and get out.  
  
Just then, Naaza ran in and I froze. There were tears running down Naaza's face and he threw himself on his bed, face down. His clothes were soaking wet and he sobbed violently. Then I knew the reason for this outburst.  
  
Naaza was bleeding severely on his back and his arms were dried and flaking badly.  
  
As quietly as I could, I pushed the mirror, making it swing and letting me into the room. Now I could hear Naaza crying as he scratched pitifully at his back and I didn't think about how foolish it was when I straddled Naaza on the bed, putting my hands on Naaza's shoulders. Naaza went suddenly still as I started to rub his shoulders, probably shocked that there was someone else in the room with him. I ran my fingers up his neck and saw the reason he was so upset. The scales were spreading and now went up under his hair, perhaps covering his scalp.  
  
Naaza stiffened under my touch. "Sh'ten?"  
  
I started rubbing Naaza's shoulders, but didn't answer. Slowly, Naaza let himself relax and I worked at the dry, loosening skin. It had to come off and I knew the horrible pain Naaza would be in right now.  
  
Nasutei was in the corner of the room, sound asleep. How odd. But right now, I was more concerned with Naaza. The ointment must not be working this year as the jar was almost empty, but Naaza was still trying to peel his skin off before it was ready. The pain was always to much for him to bear and often drove him to near insanity before it finally came off.  
  
"Do you love her?"  
  
I was startled by the question, but I suppose I shouldn't have been. Naaza and I had been lovers for many, many years. How could I be anything less than honest with him.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Naaza's body jerked with a sob and I knew he was crying again. Kami, I felt awful for doing this to him. But I still love him, too! I tried to do my best to comfort him but Naaza never looked up at me. Did he hate me so much, now? I lay down on him, stretching over his larger body and rubbing my cheek in his hair and I felt the new scales growing under his hair.   
  
As we lay there like that, I started rubbing his arms and thought that perhaps I should leave Nasutei here for the time being. We would be staying until we found Shin and Heero, and there was really no safer place than Naaza room. All ready, Nasutei had a large cobra coiled up asleep on her chest and several smaller snakes nestled in her hair. The floor was almost completely covered with snakes and few people were brave enough to come in her uninvited as those who did would meet a painful end.  
  
Yes, she would be safer here until we were ready to leave. Now that I knew where she was, there should be no problem in getting her at the right time.  
  
Anyway, it would get Naaza punished if his prisoner were to be rescued from right under his nose.  
  
Naaza, as he always did, fell asleep under my massage and when he did I snuck out the way I'd come. When we were together again I would show him this new secret. Yes, as I'd promised him, we would be together again.  
  
  
  
Shin-  
  
  
  
Shin woke slowly and just looked at the stone ceiling for a moment. Then he realized why he felt so wrong. He was alone. Not just in the room, but in his mind. Shin froze with fear. This was the first time in years he'd been alone in his mind and it was terrifying.  
  
Alone. There were no voices or even the feeling of others in that spot where the others should have been. What's been happening? Were they all dead, or was he just cut off from everyone?  
  
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Shin tried to sit up, but his head spun wildly and he felt as if he would throw up. Oh, god, what's happening? Shin put a hand to his head and felt the bandages. He frowned, putting a hand up to his head. Bandages? He must be injured, but why would the enemy bother to help him instead of just killing him?  
  
Shin slowly stood up and looked around. One look out the window told him that he was no longer on Earth. The purple sky was enough proof of that. So, he'd been captured, but why was he in a bed instead of in chains? This just made no sense. None of it made any sense.  
  
The last thing he remembered was the battle and Rajura had beaten him. Then there was pain and...and he woke up here. Still, at least he was awake and now he could try to find his way home. Shin reached for his armor orb, but it was gone and he nearly panicked. That must be why he couldn't contact the others anymore.  
  
Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Shin waited until he could breath properly before he sat up and then stood and walked to the door. It swung open easily enough, offering no resistance and the hall was perfectly silent.  
  
The hall had several doors in it. The first door he came to was marked on the outside with a carving of two entwined serpents, much like would be found as the symbol of healing and medicine. The second door had an elaborate spider web carved into it, while the third had the silhouette of a wolf howling at a crescent moon. It wasn't hard to tell who these rooms belonged to as the three Ma-Sho were rather distinctive in their animal preferences. The fourth door he came to was a bit of a mystery, though. This door had a heart carved into it with a butterfly and an owl. Shin frowned and, overcome with curiosity, pushed the door open.  
  
The inside of the room was a shock. Toys everywhere. Dolls and jump ropes, crayons and children's books were everywhere. Pictures of the Ma-Sho in happy, family like settings were hung on the walls. The bed itself was simple, but had pink blankets on it. Did they actually have a child living here?!  
  
It seemed so incredibly unbelievable that anyone would bring a child to live here, but apparently that was what had happened. Shin went to one of the pictures hanging on the walls, it wasn't a photo, but a drawing of Sh'ten and Naaza sitting with their arms around each other and Rajura giving a piggy back ride to a little girl with long black hair. It must have been Anubis who drew the picture and the fact that one of the Ma-Sho was a very good artist, made them all seem more human. But the girl, where had she come from?  
  
Shin left the room more confused than when he'd gone in.  
  
The last door was plain wood with nothing carved on the outside. Shin opened this door and was very impressed with what he saw. It was a room done in elegant style with only the richest of fabrics and furniture. Books lined the walls along with more family pictures of the Ma-Sho and the little girl. On a desk was a silver hairbrush with red hair in the bristles and Shin took a wild stab in the dark and guessed that this was Sh'ten's room.   
  
The bed was traditional in that it was on the floor, but next to the bed was something that caught Shin's attention. A small book that looked well worn. He opened it, but all the pages were blank except for the very last page. Written in elegant calligraphy,  
  
SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER  
CIRCLE, CYCLE NEVER ENDING  
  
That was it. Shin flipped through the book again to see if he'd missed anything, but no. Those few simple words were all that was written. He would have to talk to Sh'ten when he managed to escape and ask what it meant. Probably nothing, but it managed to get him curious.  
  
  
  
Dr. J-  
  
  
It had been almost two days since he'd given orders for Heero to kill the unknown who knew about Dr. J. Heero should have contacted him and told him whether or not the mission was a success, but there was no word. In fact, every time he'd tried to call Heero there was no answer. Odd.  
  
Dr. J was now on a shuttle to Earth to investigate. This little situation had him worried enough that he had decided to go to Earth and find out what was going on. If Heero had betrayed him, he would have to die. Heero's training should have purged him of all those sort of thoughts, but he did spend a lot of time around those other pilots. That Maxwell especially made Dr. J nervous. The boy had an unexpected effect on Heero making him more concerned with life than with orders and his mission. If Heero had made the mistake of letting this latest target live, then Dr. J would have to take matters into his own hands and kill both the unknown and Heero.  
  
After all, one should not continue an experiment if it proved faulty. Dr. J had made that mistake once and the other boy was long dead. Hiro had made some fatal mistake in piloting his Gundam and killed himself once he got to Earth without doing any part of his mission at all. Failure.  
  
Still, he rather hoped he wouldn't have to kill Heero. The boy was a useful tool and expensive. Oh, well...  
  
  
  
  
  
Wufei-  
  
  
  
  
Wufei, Trowa, and Sh'ten had infiltrated the palace, looking for their missing comrades and for weaknesses of the enemies. Very quickly they had all split up and agreed to meet back at the designated spot to report on what they'd found in a half an hour.  
  
Wufei ended up in the courtyard, a place that was large and empty and had the signs that it was being use for mock battles and training for war. This place was far bigger than he'd expected and he was glad to find the outside again. Inside all those stone passages made him feel terribly claustrophobic.  
  
The courtyard wasn't empty, though there were no warriors practicing. In the middle of the large yard was a small girl with long dark hair playing jump rope. She was singing as she jumped rope.  
  
  
  
"Circle, cycle never ending  
Circle, cycle ever changing  
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter  
Chain unbroken, to the end  
See the dance of the seasons  
Shatter mask and fell the lord  
Lord brings pain, rain of tears  
Must break away before the end."  
  
  
  
The girl stopped jumping and her fast paced song. She turned and looked directly at where Wufei was hiding. "You might as well come out. I know you're there."  
  
As he saw no reason to hide, Wufei stepped out to where the girl could see him. She blinked in surprise, as if she hadn't expected him. "Oh. You...you're different."  
  
Wufei started to walk toward her. "What do you mean, different? Who did you expect?"  
  
"Well, my brothers, of coarse. I never saw any other people here before. Who are you? I'm Kay and my brothers are inside. Do you want to see them?" She headed into the house when Wufei called out for her to stop and she did, turning back to him.  
  
"I was just wondering about that song. I've never heard it before. Where did you learn it?"  
  
"Learn it?" Kay looked at him, confused. "I didn't learn it anywhere. I've just always known it." She took another step toward him. "Who are you?" She asked again.  
  
"My name is Wufei. I'm not from around here and I think I got a little lost." He really didn't know how much he could tell her, so it would probably be best to stick to a simple lie. "I'm looking for my friends. Have you seen anyone?"  
  
The girl thought. "Just friends of my brothers. Two boys and a girl. Are they the people you're looking for?"  
  
Wufei nodded. "I think so. May I see them?" He tried not to sound excited that he had finally found them.  
  
Kay thought for a minute, but then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Naaza says no one can see them. They're all sick and they need sleep."  
  
"I know a little medicine. Maybe I can help them."  
  
Again, she thought before smiling. "Sure. We can go see them, I'm sure Naaza won't mind." She took his hand and as she did, he saw a kanji on her forehead light up. Innocence. She didn't seem to notice it, and it vanished in a moment.  
  
Wufei stored this away as important information to share later as the little girl led him back into the main part of the castle.  
  
  
  
  
Continued... 


	14. Chapter 14   Demon Heero

Hello, I'm glad Valandra is feeling better, sorry you were sick:(  
  
This chapter was written because Katie was so disappointed that I didn't let Heero make possessed. I wasn't going to do this, but hey, who am I to kill a dream? Hope you like it, Katie.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 14   
Demon Heero  
  
  
  
Arago-  
  
  
Emperor Arago was not as blind to the hearts of his Ma-Sho as he liked them to think. He also was not stupid. It was quite clear that they had taken an unhealthy affection for the youngest of his servants, Kay, the host that Lord Badamon was so fond of using. He had seen them, many times in the past, acting...ugh...kindly to her. As if they actually loved her.  
  
This thought sickened Arago who encouraged hate and distrust within his people. It was useful, Arago thought, to have them hate each other, there was less chance of rebellion.   
  
Still, there was reason for him to be pleased. The Ma-Sho had finally done something right and had gather two of the armor bearers, one of whom had only recently worn Suiko. The armor had somehow escaped, leaving the boy defenseless and injured. The other, a pure spirited boy, his Ma-Sho wanted to give to Badamon, supposedly to get the spirit away from Kay. As if Arago would allow that to happen. Kay, although young, was to useful to Badamon to waste her letting her grow up into a normal warrior.  
  
Arago let his vast powerful mind search his realm for Badamon and found the spirit still trapped within the body and mind of the mortal girl who helped the Troopers. Arago grumbled within his throne room, displeased with this development, even if it wasn't a disaster.   
  
The girl Badamon was trapped in had no power to serve him with, not like that the boy, Heero, had. Heero had felt nearly as strong as Recca felt and Arago dearly desired to see what would happen to the wildfire if Badamon could possess him. Now, Arago knew, that Wildfire was being worn by another, more inexperienced warrior. Perhaps that could be useful, also. This new bearer of Recca could be made to serve the Dynasty, then the rest of the Troopers would surely follow.  
  
Focusing on one of his minions, the suits of empty armor who served as foot soldiers, Arago gave it a command. The thing obeyed with predictable precision, turning from its post and going to the underground lake where the Nether Spirits were kept in the pool of dark magic. It gathered a glass bottle full of the noxious liquid before setting out for Naaza's chambers.  
  
Naaza was out of the room, but that didn't concern Arago, to be honest. Naaza's preferences were of no matter. He would do as he was told or he would be punished and Naaza had been punished enough in the past to understand that he didn't want to suffer it again. Now that Badamon had discovered that there were other armor bearers, Arago didn't need the Ma-Sho as much as he thought he did. They were disposable.  
  
Arago looked down at Nasutei through the foot soldiers eyes. The internal struggle was obvious to him who was used to playing with the spirits of others. He could read them so easily and now, he could feel the pain this girl was in, but she was stronger than he'd imagined. Without help, Badamon would not break free of her.  
  
The foot soldier poured the purifying liquid on Nasutei's face and then left the room, having no further purpose there. There was no need for the medallion, really. It made the transition into the hosts body easier for Badamon, but it wasn't really necessary. Right now, the girl's body had a large, painful burn on her chest where Badamon entered. That wouldn't have happened if she'd been wearing the emblem.   
  
Nasutei's eyes opened suddenly.  
  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
  
  
She was so tired of fighting Badamon, but she knew she had to keep trying. What would her poor boys do if she turned into someone like Lady Kayura? In her mind's eye, Nasutei was on her knees with the nether spirit circling her, calling his power down to pound on her, but she wasn't giving up. She just couldn't bear the thought of hurting the boys.  
  
A hot burning on her face made Nasutei suddenly wonder what she was doing. All this pain and suffering for those free loaders? They did little work around the house and kept breaking things with their rough housing. Did any of them think about her or try to make her life happier? No.  
  
Did they deserve her friendship? No.  
  
Should she protect them any more, giving up her soul for them? No.  
  
The warmth on her face began to spread across her whole body and Badamon, watching this transformation, laughed.  
  
  
  
  
Touma-  
  
  
  
  
Touma was not happy to be here again. He hated the Nether Realms. The peace and serenity of the place was just too contrary to the evil he knew was lurking behind the peaceful façade. Touma walked around the group, his eyes shifting side to side as he watched for an attack and his bow ready to snap into action. Shin was here, lost and alone, without his armor. All alone, that was the worst part about this whole thing, really. He wouldn't mind so much if Shin just had someone with him to take care of him, but he was alone. Touma had promised himself long ago that he would never let his friends be alone, especially not his dear Shin. Touma knew what it was like to be alone and afraid.  
  
What frightened Touma the most was that he wouldn't know if Shin died or not. There was no more connection and, though he'd shouted it earlier to Quarte, Touma couldn't be sure that Shin would ever be one of them again. What if Quarte kept the armor? What if Shin decided he had no more reason to be with them and that he had to leave?  
  
That thought brought a lump to Touma's throat. He just couldn't lose Shin.   
  
Quarte was now alone, too, without his friends. This made Touma slightly sympathetic and he looked at Quarte. The boy was a mystery, always bright and cheerful, sort of like Shu in that manner, but he seemed so familiar. It must be the link, or perhaps the blonde hair was reminding him of Seiji. Touma just couldn't understand why Quarte was involved in a war with those Gundam things anyway, or how he could he at once an experienced soldier and an innocent child.  
  
Touma felt rather guilty about the way he'd treated Quarte earlier. After all, he hadn't had the easiest of times when he'd first gotten his armor. It must be even harder for Quarte who got his in the middle of a battle and then had one of his new "brothers" yell at him. He just hated the thought of some stranger coming along and taking Shin's place. Maybe for good.  
  
Touma opened his mind to Quarte. HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP? In a voice he hoped was comforting.  
  
Quarte looked at him, surprised at the question. ALL RIGHT, I SUPPOSE. I JUST WISH TROWA WERE BACK.  
  
DON'T WORRY. SH'TEN WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM. Touma tried to project a feeling of confidence like Seiji so often did, but he wasn't as good as it and his usual suspicious mind got in the way. He found himself thinking of how Sh'ten had been an enemy not so long ago. How terrible the battles were and how often Sh'ten had nearly killed them.  
  
Quarte's mouth fell open as he saw what Touma was thinking until Seiji mentally nudged Touma. WATCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING. YOU'RE SCARING HIM. Seiji hadn't even looked at them, but kept his eyes on the darkness and the shadows, apparently afraid that Anubis would come back for a second attack.  
  
Touma quickly got his thoughts under control and reassured Quarte that that had all been a long time ago, well a few weeks anyway. Sh'ten was different now, they hoped. He realized that he didn't sound half so confident as he wanted to be.  
  
Quarte tried not to think that Trowa might be in danger from a teammate. TROWA CAN TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF, I JUST WORRY WHEN HE'S NOT WITH ME. Quarte looked at his hands sadly and Touma could feel how desperately Quarte loved Trowa. Hopefully, Trowa loved Quarte at least half as much as he was loved. It was odd to hear his own thoughts of Shin echoed by Quarte thinking of Trowa.   
  
Kaosu really knew what he was doing when he made replacements. They were almost mirror images of the Troopers, though where that left the Ma-Sho, Touma had no idea.  
  
Touma, looking at Quarte, had a nagging thought at the back of his mind. They were still missing one of the replacements. Who was innocence? When they'd first met, Touma had suspected that Quarte might be innocence, but that one still had not yet appeared.  
  
Suddenly, a memory stuck Touma square in the middle of his mind, so quickly that he didn't have time to shield from anyone and it came with such force that it was almost painful.   
  
  
Flashback-  
  
  
  
Pain. Everything hurt and Touma tried to lay as still as possible, but it wasn't easy. The man and woman circled around him, leering down. The woman's small hand touched his cheek, wet with tears and Touma shivered, jerking away from the touch. "Sweet thing, you shouldn't cry. It spoils your looks." The woman laughed, turning her fingers to run her nail down his cheek, nearly drawing blood.  
  
"I disagree." A man said, putting a hand on Touma's hair. "I rather think tears suit our little bluebird."   
  
Touma closed his eyes, praying for it all to be over. He wished he'd never run away from home. His dad had nearly beat him to death that last night he'd been at home, but at least he'd had his pride in tact. Even his dad's beatings would have been better than this.  
  
Well, this wasn't the first time this had happened. He'd been on the streets for a few weeks now and had learned much. Many things a twelve-year-old should not know.  
  
The two adults spoke some more before leaving Touma in the alley, broken and bleeding. The night was cold against his bare skin and Touma huddled into a fetal position for protection. His mind was almost shattered, but slowly it was coming back together. He was in the city and they'd caught him alone. Stupid, really. He should have stayed at the shelter tonight, it was freezing cold and the snow had even started falling again. He had been told by others that if he was going to stay on the streets, that he should stay in the shelters, especially at night, but he'd forgotten. The stars had been so bright that night and he just wanted to stay on the roof top, gazing.  
  
They caught him when he came down, seizing him roughly by the back of his throat...  
  
Touma's mind blanked, not wanting to relive the nightmare. He had to get back to the shelter. Mama Faun, the fat woman who ran the soup kitchen, would help him. The kind Chinese woman who volunteered almost every night and always sent the leftovers from her restaurant to the shelter was terribly kind and Touma was very fond of her. She even told him that she had a son his age and she'd bring him by one day so they could meet.  
  
Touma lay on the bitterly cold pavement, not daring to move for fear that they'd be back, even though he knew Mama Faun would be at the shelter tonight. He may have lay there for an hour, before he dared to open his eyes and look around. No one.   
  
Touma sat up and gathered his ripped clothes, thrown about by those that had raped him. His whole body was sore and Touma wanted nothing more than to lay down and die. How could he face anyone again? He wasn't even strong enough to defend himself against two people. What would Mama Faun think? That though worried him. What if she didn't like him after this? He really didn't know if he should even tell her because maybe she wouldn't talk to him anymore or want him to meet her son.  
  
"Rashid? Who's that?" A soft voice said from the end of the alley and Touma froze, looking up with pure horror. Someone else had found him! There was no where to hide or run and he didn't even have his clothes to protect him anymore. Touma started shaking as he looked at the two figures at the end of the alley walked in to get a better look at him. Touma pulled himself to his hands and knees, determined to fight, even if he was going to lose.  
  
A boy his own age, though looking much fitter with blonde hair, and the biggest man Touma had ever seen. The boy was richly dressed in fancy clothes with even some jewelry, bangles on his wrist and a gold necklace. Touma almost fainted at the sight of the huge, dark skinned man who stood next to the boy.   
  
The boy stepped into the alley with the man, Rashid, following closely behind. Touma, still naked, put his bundle of clothes over himself to protect what remained of his pride, but not taking his eyes off the boy or the huge man as he struggled to his feet. "Are you all right?" Rashid asked in a deep, compassionate voice.  
  
Touma started to back away remembering what the woman had said several hours ago, 'Are you all right, little boy? You look lost.' As she petted his hair and her companion held him by the throat, almost strangling him. Touma was so afraid, he couldn't even fight and his heart hurt, slamming against his chest.  
  
The blonde boy smiled at Touma. "Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you. What's your name?"  
  
'What's your name, little boy?' The man asked, leering, moving to stand in front of Touma and putting a hand on Touma's thin chest.   
  
Touma was now shaking, backed as far away from the strangers as he could get.  
  
His mind screamed at him, Run!  
  
Touma obeyed the command, flying at the only escape available. The street behind Rashid was the only place to run so Touma darted to safety. Unfortunately, though he did manage to get passed the blonde boy, Rashid was a different matter. The man easily caught him by the arm and hauled him off his feet.  
  
Touma screamed, just as he had when they'd torn off his clothes, fighting for his life. Rashid held him securely, not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough that Touma didn't want to test the man's strength. He was caught. This man could kill him without trying.   
  
"Let me go!" Touma demanded, kicking at the frowning man.   
  
"I won't let you." Rashid tried to sound comforting, but Touma couldn't make sense of anything, he just wanted to run.   
  
"Calm down, please." The boy said, almost begging. "We're not going to hurt you, we just want to help."  
  
"Put me down! I don't need you!" Touma refused to stop fighting even though it looked hopeless. I want Mama Faun!  
  
Rashid looked at the blonde boy who sighed unhappily. "Do as he says, Rashid. We can't keep him here if he wants to go home."  
  
Rashid did as he was told without question, but as Touma ran to the street, two shadows blocked his way. Touma skidded to a stop, falling down in his haste to keep away. The two were all to familiar as they smiled down at him and Touma scrambled to get back into the alley when he remembered Rashid and the boy were still there. He froze, caught between the two sets of people.  
  
"We came back to see you again, bluebird." The woman purred, smiling like a shark. "We missed you all ready." Her eyes went to Rashid. "I didn't think you'd have found another friend so quickly, bluebird." Her eyes ran up and down Rashid whose eyes narrowed. "Would you care to share? This bluebird is our little one, but we'll share him if you'll share the pretty blonde." She looked at the blonde boy.  
  
Rashid's eye twitched.   
  
"Quarte," He said in a deep rumbling voice. "Close your eyes."  
  
The boy, Quarte, did as he was told without question. Rashid went directly to the man and woman, standing in front of them for just a moment before he grabbed both of them by their head and smashed their skulls together. Touma nearly threw up at the sight of their brains leaking and their lifeless bodies slumped to the ground.  
  
Rashid looked down at Touma, still frozen, but now with confusion as well as fear. What was going on? Would Rashid kill him too instead of raping him? "Did they touch you?" Rashid asked.  
  
Touma nodded slowly. He really didn't want to get this man angry. A man so powerful that he could kill so easily.  
  
"Quarte, we will have a guest tonight." Rashid told the boy whose eyes were still closed. It seemed that he wouldn't open them until Rashid told him to. "What is your name, boy?" Rashid looked back at Touma, his eyes becoming gentler.  
  
Touma considered for a moment before answering. "Hashiba Touma."  
  
Rashid picked up Quarte easily and carried him over the mess he'd made to the street beyond and he looked at Touma. "Would you like some help?"  
  
Touma shook his head, not wanting anyone to touch him, not even if it meant he had to walk through the brains all over the ground. Touma stepped carefully, hoping he wouldn't fall. Once he'd reached the street, Touma remembered he was still naked, but before he could feel embarrassed, a weight landed on his shoulders as Rashid had taken off his own coat and put it on Touma. "That will keep you warm. You are welcome in our home, Touma. To fill your belly and warm your bones as well as to get some medical treatment." The offer was generous, kind, and exactly what Touma needed.  
  
Touma turned and ran as fast as he could away from them.  
  
They were just setting a trap for him. This was another trick like others had tried to do dozens of times in the past few weeks. He wouldn't fall for it this time! They wouldn't catch him!  
  
Quarte's voice rang after him, "Wait!"  
  
That was the last Touma had seen of the giant Rashid or little Quarte.  
  
  
  
End flashback-  
  
  
  
Touma woke from his memory with Seiji holding him, soothingly rocking him back and forth, and Shu pacing furiously. "Good thing that Rashid killed them or I'd have had to hunt them down." Shu grumbled, swinging his arms as if he desperately wanted to hurt someone. "You should have told us, Touma. You should have told us, you don't need to suffer all that alone!" Shu's angry words were not backed up by his thoughts that were filled with pain on Touma's behalf and fear that Touma might always hurt from this. He just wanted Touma to stop hurting and hated himself that there was nothing he could do about it.   
  
Shu was nothing if not straight forward. He would willingly suffer any pain to keep it away from his friends and Touma knew if Shu had been with him that night, he'd have offered himself to the rapists just to save Touma. Touma was glad that Shu wasn't there. He knew he wasn't worth Shu giving up his innocence.  
  
Seiji rubbed Touma's back, and sending comforting images of home and their little family to Touma, letting him know that they were all here for him and that he wasn't alone. Seiji would have gladly hunted the two if they still lived, but Rashid had already dealt justice for them. Fortunately, Seiji was a very skilled empath and had seen the others. The older more faded memories of other people who had taken liberties with Touma's body. He could and would exact revenge. They just had to wait until this little situation was taken care of. He would also do this alone. Ryo, Shu, and Shin were all too innocent and pure for this sort of thing. Seiji was not and could easily take pleasure in this sort of thing.   
  
Duo stood apart, very quiet. His face was a blank mask and even his mind was still. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Touma guessed that Duo might have his own memories about that sort of thing.  
  
Quarte was kneeling next to Touma, his arms wrapped around himself, terrified now that he'd seen Touma's memory through Touma's eyes. RASHID AND I WOULDN'T HAVE HURT YOU, YOU KNOW. HE IS A VERY KIND MAN. I DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THAT UNTIL YOU SHOWED IT TO ME AGAIN. HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR HAIR?  
  
Touma started to close himself off, but stopped. I DIDN'T KNOW. I WAS SCARED AND HE WAS SO BIG.  
  
Quarte nodded. I UNDERSTAND. I WAS AFRAID OF HIM AT FIRST, TOO.  
  
Quarte opened his mind and let Touma and the others see his memory. Quarte's own mother had been not the most affectionate. The beatings at her hands had been sever until Quarte's father came home from a business trips and found Quarte in the basement nearly dead. She had never wanted sons. Only daughters and she'd been pleased up until Quarte's birth. Rashid had been hired to care for Quarte after his abusive mother had been...removed. Quarte had been very weary of the imposing man until Rashid had proven himself gentle and very fatherly.  
  
Touma met Quarte's eyes and both managed to smile a little.  
  
COME SEE US, WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER. Quarte invited. RASHID WILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, I'M SURE. YOU CAN BRING SHIN WITH YOU.  
  
  
  
  
Trowa-  
  
  
  
Trowa found Heero in someone's bedroom empty except for the many spiders. They really needed to call an exterminator. Heero was laying face down and Trowa was, for a moment, frightened that Heero had been killed dispite what Sh'ten had predicted. After checking that Heero's pulse was strong and steady, Trowa rolled his friend over onto his back.   
  
"Heero? Wake up." He slapped Heero's face firmly and wished that he had a few more drugs on him. He had run out of the stimulant shortly before all this craziness began and it would have been useful right now. The enemy had taken even Heero's usual supplies of drugs so there was no help there. Trowa slapped Heero again. "Wake up."  
  
Heero blinked groggily and his eyes took in his surroundings quickly before focusing on Trowa. Trowa was puzzled by the panicked look in Heero's eyes.  
  
Without warning, Heero reached up and seized Trowa by the collar and pulled him down so the two were face to face. Heero was sweating heavily and whispered urgently. "Get them away."  
  
Trowa calmly tried to pry Heero's hands off his shirt, but it was no use. "Keep who away, Heero?"  
  
"The spiders. Keep them away."  
  
Spiders?  
  
Heero was starting to shake and Trowa understood. Heero had a phobia of spiders. That was certainly unexpected. "Stand up, Heero. We'll leave and there will be no more spiders. I promise."  
  
"I...I can't." There was deep shame in Heero's voice. Shame that he couldn't hide the fear or the fact that spiders had effectively defeated him where bullets, bombs, lasers, swords, and space battles had failed. He was paralyzed with fear. "I can't move."   
  
Trowa stood and picked Heero up, surprised at how tense Heero was, nearly stiff as a plank. As soon as they were out of the room, with the door closed firmly behind them, Trowa dusted all the spiders off Heero. "They're all gone. You're safe."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Heero steadied himself and patted himself down, just to make sure Trowa was right. He looked up at Trowa. "Let's go." All business again and obviously trying not to think of the debilitating fear that had left him helpless for the practically the first time in his life.  
  
"Well, it's taken you two long enough."  
  
Both boys looked up to see Nasutei standing in the hall, smiling strangely at them. Trowa asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine, thank you. I do have something to show you, though." With that, she turned and walked down the hall as if she owned the place. Trowa was a bit worried at this new attitude, but followed after Heero did. He had noticed that she walked differently than that last time he'd seen her, something about a new sway in her step. It seemed out of place. He also noticed that in her hand she held a metal plate with an ornate design and three tassels. He was sure she hadn't had anything like that before.  
  
Nasutei led them through the halls, not even looking at the occasional soldier they passed. "They're not dangerous unless they are given an order." Nasutei reassured them. "Just leave the things alone." The halls were lit with candles that had blue flames. How this was possible, Trowa had no idea.   
  
"How do you know that?" Trowa asked. "Do you know where Shin is?"  
  
Nasutei didn't answer.  
  
Trowa really didn't like this place. He had been taken away from his world of science and reality into this place of fantasy and monsters where the rules were different and he knew none of them. He just wanted to go home and take his friends with him.  
  
They went for a long time down dark halls and Trowa felt that they were going down, into the ground. "Where are we going, Nasutei?" He asked. "The others are waiting for us."  
  
"I know." Even her voice seemed to smile. "They'll see us very soon."  
  
  
  
  
  
Nasutei led them to a cavern, huge and lit with the blue fire on torches. At the center of the cavern was a pit of...stuff. Trowa couldn't quite find the right way to describe it. It bubbled and steamed almost like lava, but it was an unhealthy color, giving off a foul odor.  
  
Nasutei began down the set of stairs carved out of the cavern, right to the edge of the mysterious underground lake. "Come with me, Heero." Nasutei said, stepping carefully down to the edge of the bubbling sludge.  
  
Heero stayed rooted where he was next to Trowa, not willing to go any closer. He had a very bad feeling about this place. Something he couldn't quite remember tugged at the back of his mind. This was not a safe place to be.  
  
When he didn't follow, Nasutei gave him a teasing smile over her shoulder, almost as if she were flirting with him. This was, Trowa thought, totally against her character. What little he knew of her character. "What's wrong, Heero? Surely you aren't afraid, are you?"  
  
Trowa thought it was uncharacteristic when Nasutei knelt next to the pool and dipped her hand in. Foolish, to say the least, as they really didn't know what the stuff was. "It won't hurt you, Heero." Nasutei told Heero in a seductive voice.  
  
"I thought you were enemies with this place." Heero said. "Why do you want to stay here when we could escape?"  
  
Nasutei brought up a handful of the stuff, cupped in her hand. "I've learned much since I've been here. This is the side to be on. The winning side. Emperor Arago can give you anything you want, Heero. Anything you wish for can be yours, easily." With that, she lifted the pink ooze to her lips and drank it greedily, going so far as to lap at the palm of her hand to get the last traces of it and then lick her lips delicately.   
  
Trowa felt like throwing up.  
  
"This is what can give you everything, Heero. All the strength and power to complete any mission you are ever given." Her voice was soft and seductive and not at all like the young lady they'd known before. Nasutei dipped the tips of her fingers in the sludge again and just waved her hand gently back and forth, creating little ripples in the sludge. "Anything you want."  
  
The offer was very tempting for Heero. "My mission is to kill Seiji." Heero stated, curious as to how she would react.  
  
To his surprise, Nasutei's smile grew. "All the better. I can help you with that, Heero. Come down, Heero. It won't hurt you."  
  
Heero started down, willing to do anything to complete a mission, even if this place did feel very wrong. In order to complete missions, Heero had done many things that had felt wrong in the past. This was no different. Heero almost thought that he'd been here, before, though he couldn't be certain, and the faded half memory was filled with pain. Pain didn't bother him, it was simply an obstacle to overcome.  
  
Trowa frowned, but didn't want to leave his place overlooking the nightmarish pool of...whatever it was. The cavern they were in was boiling hot, no doubt causing the bubbling of the pink stuff. Nasutei had known exactly where to come, had led them directly here, but while Trowa's mind told him that she was no enemy while his heart was screaming, 'traitor!' "Are you sure you want to do this, Heero? What can it gain you, you are all ready the perfect soldier. What can this stuff give you that training hasn't?"  
  
"Any advantage should be taken." Heero answered, continuing down the stairway.  
  
Nasutei's smile stayed plastered on her face. A face that had once been open and giving, now looked like the most sinister thing Trowa could imagine. "I don't trust her, Heero." Trowa told his friend.  
  
Heero, reaching the bottom step, replied, "Trust is a luxury I don't need. If she betrays us, she will die."  
  
"That's right, soldier boy. This will be just what you need and don't worry about betrayal. When this is over, you'll see things in just the right light." Her eyes went beyond Heero and focused on Trowa. "Don't worry, Trowa. You'll be next."   
  
Trowa shuttered and knew that no matter what, he would not get near that lake of stuff.  
  
Heero knelt next to Nasutei and waited for instructions. Seeing this, Nasutei cooed happily and delicately touched Heero's cheek in a manner that would make Duo scream and try to throttle her with his braid if he were here. "Oh, what a good, obedient boy you are. Perfect."  
  
Trowa did not like the sound of this.  
  
Again, Nasutei cupped her hand and filled it with the stuff and silently, she held it up to Heero's mouth. He drank without hesitation.   
  
Trowa watched worriedly as Heero gulped it all down. After he'd finished, Nasutei watched Heero closely, waiting for something. Heero's eyes grew unfocused and he swayed slightly.  
  
Trowa started down the stairs. "Heero?"  
  
Heero started mumbling. "Damned people, always in my way. Can't let me do my job without running in the middle of it all." Heero's voice was mumbled, almost like he was drunk. "Just have to kill a few people and they make a fuss. Should just kill them all. Be better off with no one to get in the way."  
  
This was not how Heero spoke or behaved in normal circumstances. "Heero, are you all right?"  
  
Nasutei evidently found this pleasing and smiled again. "He's fine, Trowa. Just fine." Putting hand behind Heero's head, running her long fingers through his hair, Nasutei pulled Heero in close and kissed him passionately on the lips. Trowa froze, shocked.  
  
The kiss continued for a few minutes while Nasutei raised the metal emblem and pressed it to Heero's chest.   
  
To be honest, it wouldn't have surprised Trowa to see Heero sit and take the kiss coldly, but Heero was kissing the girl back! That was not like him at all. As far as Trowa knew, the only person Heero had ever kissed in his entire life was Duo. Trowa felt something, a tingle in the back of his mind, and Heero's eyes shot open.  
  
Heero started to struggle violently against Nasutei who held him firmly, as if the kiss was painful. That the slight girl could even hold Heero so tightly against his will was not possible, Trowa thought. Trowa ran down to them to pull Heero away from Nasutei, but something pushed him away as he reached out to them. A kind of force field surrounded them that Trowa couldn't see.  
  
Heero's struggling slowed and finally, he seemed to grow more in control as Nasutei was getting limp, her eyes started to close, and she fell away from him. They were no longer kissing, but Heero held her close to him, and kept their mouth inches apart. One of his hands was now on the emblem, clutching it to his chest, while his other hand held Nasutei. Mist was coming out of her mouth and into Heero's open mouth. When the last of the smoke went into Heero, Nasutei's eyes closed and she, apparently, fainted.  
  
Heero, still on his knees, let her fall to the ground, hard.   
  
Heero started giggling and Trowa was afraid. Heero did NOT giggle.  
  
Thin hands slowly moved up Heero's chest, his own hands, as if he'd never known his own body before and was just exploring it. The hands went to his face, tracing the curves and sharp angles of his cheeks and chin. "Oh, yes. I do like this."  
  
Finding that the invisible force shield, or whatever it had been, was no longer there, Trowa carefully picked up Nasutei. "How do you feel, Heero?"  
  
Heero stood, facing Trowa. "I feel powerful!" As soon as he'd said this, Heero changed, now standing in baggy, bright purple, silk pants and a black vest. Around his neck was hung the emblem, gleaming coldly in the blue firelight.  
  
His hair was now impossibly different, longer even than Duo's and hanging in sever spikes almost touching the floor.   
  
His eyes were now different, also. So different that Trowa started to back away, frightened. Lurking behind the familiar blue was something evil. Totally, completely evil.   
  
"Don't be afraid, Trowa. I won't hurt you." Heero smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Trowa turned and fled up the stairway, still carrying Nasutei's limp body. The echo of Heero's laughter only drove him to run faster as he no longer cared who saw him. He just knew that they had to get away from Heero.   
  
Unholy laughter followed them for a long time as Trowa fled down the halls.  
  
  
  
  
Continued...  
  
  
Are you happy, Katie?  
  
Anyway, the Saiyans of Dragon Ball Z inspired my possessed Heero. I just LOVE Vegeta, don't you?  
  
Next chapter, Duo no Recca vs. Demon Heero. Where are Wufei and Kay? What's happening to Ryo?   
  
Anyone want to read about what would have happened if Touma had accepted Rashid and Quarte's offer? I may begin another fic about that little side story. 


	15. Chapter 15   End of the Oni

Valandra, sorry about Heero. Don't worry, I think you will like what I have in store for our dear, dear Dr. J. Hee, hee! Oops, sorry. My evil little god of writing was showing his face again. Isn't he cute:)   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
  
  
  
Ryo-  
  
  
Ryo woke with a massive headache and a terrible sense of loneliness. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. He was alone. Not just in the fact that he was laying in the disaster of Nasutei's former mansion and seemed to be the only person around, but in his mind, everything was still. There was no one in there except him. Ryo started shaking and slowly sat up, his head throbbing, but that was not his main worry.  
  
SEIJI? Ryo thought desperately. SEIJI, ARE YOU THERE? PLEASE, ANSWER ME.  
  
No answer.  
  
SHU? TOUMA? ANYONE? At this point he'd be overjoyed to feel Sh'ten's mind touch his own, and even Quarte's, so newly joined with them. God, he was getting so scared, what had happened? Ryo rubbed his temples, trying to sort out his foggy memories, but all his could clearly remember was Duo looking down at him and Seiji's terrible fear. Fear for Ryo, that he wouldn't make it this time. Duo was afraid, too, it showed in his eyes, but Ryo was giving him something. The orb, Ryo remembered suddenly seeing it in Duo's reluctant hand and then the world going black.  
  
Ryo hadn't been alone since he'd met Seiji so many years ago in the forest and then the others followed, joining his mind as they met. Shin and Touma and then Shu all adding themselves to his mind with their own. He didn't like it, being alone, and had to fight hard against shaking and dissolving into tears.   
  
  
Almost as bad as the fact that his link was gone, Ryo looked at the burning embers of a fire next to him and felt nothing. Usually, when he came close to a fire he could feel a dancing warmth deep inside himself and hear it's singing voice. Now, the fire was silent. Dying and Ryo could feel no sadness from it as it knew it was dying.   
  
'Have to find out what's going on.' Ryo told himself and he tried standing, but his head bumped against something solid. "Ouch!" Ryo rubbed the top of his head and looked up. Then he frowned, as he saw nothing. Ryo put a hand up and about a foot above his head there was some invisible force. Running his hands on the unseen force proved to Ryo that someone had trapped him in a bubble he couldn't break. There was a circle drawn on the ground around him and Ryo suddenly knew Sh'ten had done this. Who else would?   
  
Ryo sighed, sitting down cross-legged and irritated, not knowing quite what to do.  
  
"My, there appears to have been trouble here."  
  
Ryo looked up at the voice and saw a stranger standing there. The man was wearing a large, baggy coat and a large hat that shadowed his face almost entirely.   
  
"Just a bit." Ryo answered vaguely. "Can you help me?"   
  
The man stepped closer, but the strange force stopped him. The man put his hand to the force and tapped it, experimentally. "What is this? How did you get trapped in there?"  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. Just do me a favor and kick some sand over the circle drawn in the sand, will you?" There was something about the man that reminded Ryo of someone, even though he was pretty sure he'd never met the man before.  
  
The stranger obligingly did as he was asked and, as Ryo had expected, the invisible prison vanished. He stood and stretched, still unhappy about the loss of his bond with his friends, but at least he could walk around now.  
  
"Now that I've done you a favor, will you help me?" Ryo looked at the stranger and shrugged, not seeing any reason not to. "I'm looking for a boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He is about sixteen and quite thin. Have you seen him?"  
  
The description had sounded so much like Heero that Ryo took a closer look at the stranger. The stranger took off his hat and Ryo gasped, not even trying to hide it, before his usually kind eyes narrowed.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Dr. J asked.  
  
Ryo growled anger blurring his vision. "You. You hurt my, Sei-Chan." Ryo felt his vision go red and wondered if he could keep from killing the man before Seiji got back. All those memories of torture when Seiji was just a child came back with a vengeance at the sight of Dr. J. "You...hurt...my...Seiji." Ryo spaced out each word to make himself speak properly. He had a feeling if he tried to speak faster, he's end up spluttering with rage.  
  
Dr. J looked baffled. "I'm afraid I don't know any Seiji..."   
  
Ryo interrupted him. "Yes, you do. Gold hair and lavender eyes. Pale, pale skin and long, beautiful fingers. You do know Seiji." Ryo's voice was grumbled in his throat, turning it into a growl. He was starting to crouch as he took a few steps toward the now frightened Dr. J.  
  
Dr. J was startled. "Seiji died years ago."  
  
"Did he?" Ryo began to advance on Dr. J, his body going back into the old habits of his childhood, hunting with Byakuen. He was moving slowly, even as Dr. J was starting to move backwards, like a deer who knew there was a wolf near by, but wasn't sure which way to run.  
  
"Now...now look..." Dr. J was afraid and Ryo could smell the fear as he moved from a crouch down onto all fours so he was walking on the balls of his feet and his hands, letting his muscles fall into the comfortable positions for this kind of movement. Ryo wasn't listening as his field of vision narrowed on Dr. J.   
  
Seiji's birthday was coming up and Ryo had the perfect present. Dr. J, completely unnerved by Ryo letting his animal side loose, ran and Ryo chased, his lips drawn back in a feral smile and he knew that he prey wouldn't get far.  
  
The hunt was all that mattered.  
  
  
  
  
Wufei-  
  
  
  
  
Wufei and the little girl walked down the hall and Wufei found himself rather liking the cute child, rather strangely. She was a talkative, bright, cheerful child who was busy telling him far more than he needed to know about his enemy.  
  
"Naaza's shedding right now, so he'll be a bit grumpy if you meet him. I'd talk to Rajura, if I were you. He's much more friendly, but Naaza says Rajura likes to pinch bottoms, so you'd better watch out for yours." Wufei tried hard not to blush at the thought of the enemy, the kidnappers, pinching his bottom. Duo would laugh himself to death at the sight. "What else should you know?" Kay thought to herself, speaking outloud. "Don't tease Anubis about his scar, he's sensitive. If you see a snake, be polite and say good morning. Watch out for the spirits, they get irritating if you pay to much attention to them." She rattled on and on about things he had no business knowing. Then again, he wondered, why would a child be here and know the behavior of spirits. This was to weird.  
  
Kay stopped walking suddenly and the silence was startling after the twenty minutes non-stop chatter. Wufei noticed that she was staring at a set of large, ornate doors, her eyes narrowed and a slight frown on her face.  
  
"Is something wrong?" He asked.  
  
She took a moment to answer. "I don't like that room." She said slowly. "I...feel...something bad about it."  
  
"What's in there?"  
  
Again, she didn't answer right away, as if something else were playing on her mind. "I'm not sure, but I think it's something bad. My big brothers told me to never, never go in there. They always come out of there angry and they go to the other place in their armor to fight." She slowly shook her head. "I don't like that room," Kay repeated. "It makes shivers go up and down my back."  
  
Wufei examined the doors. Nothing unusual about them, just plain metal. He started to push the doors, but Kay grabbed his arm urgently. "Didn't you hear?! We can't go in there!"  
  
"You can't go in, your brothers never told me any such thing." Wufei pointed out, but Kay only got more insistent, pulling on his arm.   
  
"Please, come away. I just know there's something bad in there and I'll take you to your friends. Please, don't go in." She was afraid, really afraid of what was behind the doors and Wufei backed away, letting her pull him further down the hall away from the doors. Her face had gone pale when she'd seen him trying to open the doors and he wondered what could be back there to make her so afraid.  
  
Kay seemed to be a very intelligent girl and sensible, so he was fairly certain that she wouldn't be frightened by ghost stories her brothers may have told her. As he was led away, Wufei cast one look back at the metal doors and really wanted to have a look to satisfy his curiosity.  
  
  
  
  
Shin-  
  
  
  
  
Shin left the mysterious room with no questions answered and still wanting to find his way out of here. With no armor and the link with his friends gone, Shin had no idea where to go or what, exactly to do. He wished that Touma were here to help him, Touma always had encouragement and knew what to say to make Shin feel more confident.  
  
Shin, peeking into the hall to make sure it was clear of soldiers and Ma-Sho, swallowed hard. He wondered where Touma was now and if Touma was trying to rescue him. Of coarse he was trying! What kind of defeatist thought was that?   
  
Although he was often quiet and cautious, Shin was no coward and he made his way though the castle without to much difficulty. The Nether Realms was not exactly what he'd expected, really. There was no one here and it seemed to Shin that this must be a terribly lonely way to live. He was pretty sure that he wouldn't want to live like this, except maybe if his friends were here, also.  
  
It wasn't long before Shin found a way out, or rather, the way out found him in the form of Wufei and a little girl. The little girl surprised Shin, but he did remember the child's room from earlier and she did look vaguely familiar. Something about her long black hair and big eyes reminded him of someone, though he couldn't quite remember whom.  
  
Wufei was with the girl and the girl pointed to Shin excitedly. "There's one of them!" She exclaimed and pulled on Wufei's hand. Shin had to smile, thinking that from what little he knew of Wufei he wasn't the sort of person one pulled as a general rule. The girl smiled up at Shin. "Are you feeling better?"  
  
Shin carefully considered the child and wondered if this was a trap, perhaps another of Rajura's illusions, but what would the point be? "I'm feeling a bit better, I suppose." Shin answered, bending over to look at her. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Kay and this is my new friend, Wufei. He was looking for you and the other two."  
  
Shin frowned. "What other two?"  
  
Wufei answered, speaking for the first time. "Nasutei and Heero were taken after you were. We weren't sure if you had survived Rajura's attack or not and we have all come to rescue the three of you."  
  
"All of you? Who exactly is all?"  
  
Wufei explained to Shin as they walked, still looking for the others after finding the guestroom and Rajura's room empty, how Quarte now wore the armor of Suiko and Duo had Ryo's Recca armor.  
  
Shin froze in fear. "Is Ryo...dead?"  
  
"No, he used something they called Kikoutei to defeat a Lady Kayura. The last time I saw him, he was unconscious outside the remains of Nasutei's home."  
  
"The remains?" Oh, this was getting better and better!  
  
"The battle after you'd been kidnapped, was quite awful and the house was largely destroyed after Kayura and Ryo battled. He was, Touma assured us, fine and just needed to rest. He thought that the armor went to Duo because of a coming battle that the armor would be needed at." Wufei reported all of this coolly, as if reporting to a superior how a war had gone.  
  
Shin relaxed a bit, relieved that Ryo was all right. At least that was something to be thankful for. "The armor usually seems to know what its doing, but even I wouldn't trust it."  
  
"What are you talking about?" They both looked at Kay who was looking very confused.   
  
"There's a war going on." Wufei told her. "We're fighting on one side and several of our friends were injured by your brothers."   
  
Kay accepted this better than Shin would have thought and nodded solemnly. "Oh. If you're on the other side of the war, you must know Seiji."  
  
Shin asked as gently as he could, "How do you know Seiji?" He tried to remind himself that this was only a child and surely, she had nothing to do with any kidnapping.  
  
"My Oniisan, Anubis, is going to bring him back here to live with us."  
  
Shin went cold and his face lost all warmth. "Oh, is he?" Not so long as Shin had breath would Anubis lay hands on Seiji!  
  
Kay nodded, happily ignoring Shin's sudden change in attitude. "Yes. He showed me a picture of Seiji as a little boy and said he promised Seiji that he could come and live with us a long time ago. Is Seiji nice? Does he like to fight? Do you think he'd spar with me? I can't wait to meet him!" Her innocent smile was too much and melted Shin's determination to be angry. He would deal with Anubis later, but this wasn't Kay's fault, so there was no need to be angry with her.  
  
Shin touched the top of her head. "Seiji is very nice and I think he would like you. But, I don't think he'd be happy living here away from all his friends."  
  
This didn't seem to bother Kay. "That's all right. Rajura said we can bring all Seiji's friends, too. Jura-Chan said we can have everyone here like a big family and we'll all be happy once you all learn what side you should be on." Kay paused before saying, "I'm not sure what he meant by that."  
  
"Rajura is wrong, Kay. My friends and I want to stay right where we are."  
  
Kay broke out laughing. "Of coarse you are, now. That's only because you don't know any better, silly." She spoke up to him condescendingly. "You'll like it here and we'll have lots of fun together." With that Kay took Shin's hand in her left hand and Wufei's in her right as they walked. She swung her arms and started to sing as if they were taking her to a picnic instead of wandering through a maze of the Nether Realms. "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter..." Her voice trailed off as footsteps were suddenly running down the passage at them.  
  
All three stopped and Wufei got into a defensive position, ready to fight, even though all he had was his gun and Touma had assured him that it would be useless here. Shin, unarmed and with no way to protect himself, stood protectively in front of Kay.  
  
Out of the shadows, flickering in the blue torch light, Trowa, carrying a limp Nasutei ran at top speed. He ran right at them and right past them, shouting, "Run!" As he passed.   
  
Without hesitation, Wufei picked up Kay and ran after Trowa. Shin didn't know what was going on, but he saw Nasutei and knew he had to follow. They ran and ran until Shin was exhausted and nearly fainting and Trowa finally slowed down.   
  
"What's happening?" Kay asked, frightened by suddenly being picked up and chasing after the stranger. "Who is he?" She asked Wufei.  
  
"A friend of mine." Wufei answered before looking at Trowa. "Where is Heero?"  
  
Trowa, as always, looked very seriously at Wufei. "He's been..." Trowa suddenly didn't seem to know what to say and finally settled on the most logical phrase he could think of. "Subverted to the enemy's side."  
  
Wufei scowled. "That's not possible. Not for Heero, anyway."  
  
"I can't explain it, but something is very wrong with Heero. He is our enemy now." Trowa looked down at Nasutei in his arms. "She had something to do with it, but I'm not sure exactly what." Trowa suddenly stopped talking and was staring at Kay. "He was changed by a decoration exactly like that one." He pointed to the metal emblem Kay wore as a necklace.  
  
Kay reached down to touch her necklace. "This was a present from my brothers. They wouldn't give me anything dangerous." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Trowa as if to say how insulted she was that he would dare say bad things about her beloved brothers.  
  
"I am pleased that you think so, Kay." Everyone turned at the familiar voice and Kay's face lit up like a bonfire.  
  
"Ten-Chan!" She screamed happily and jumped out of Wufei's arms to run to Sh'ten. He knelt to hug her and they stayed like that for a minute, both looking blissfully happy. When she pulled away from him, Kay gave him a hurt look.  
  
"I though you were dead, Ten-Chan! Don't you ever do that again!"  
  
Sh'ten actually looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Kay, but it was necessary." Sh'ten looked up, taking note that Shin was with them and then he noticed Nasutei was here. Sh'ten stood and took her from Trowa, so happy to see her safe and relatively unharmed that he was nearly in tears. "Has anyone seen, Heero?" He asked.  
  
Trowa answered, giving the exact answer he'd given Wufei, but Sh'ten understood what had happened far better. "He's possessed by the spirit of Badamon. That means we are in a great deal of danger, and it would be best for us to get back to the others. Heero, or what is left of him, will try to kill Duo no Recca and thus send the armor to another, easier to control bearer."  
  
Wufei asked, "Did you know that Kay is one of the replacements? She had the symbol of Innocence on her forehead earlier when I met her."  
  
"I did?" She asked, apparently she'd never noticed and touched her forehead unconsciously as if she could feel it.  
  
Sh'ten, however, nodded slightly. "I had suspected, but I was not sure. We must go now, the others are probably under attack."  
  
Using the same way they'd gotten in, Sh'ten led the out of the palace back to where they had left the others. Kay came with them, unwilling to let her big brother out of her sight now that she'd found him again and held onto the tail of Wufei's long white shirt so she wouldn't get lost in all the passages she'd never known existed.   
  
They emerged into a war zone. The Ma-Sho had attacked only a short time ago and Sh'ten said to Kay who, strangely, was not shocked by the fierce war, "Stay out of sight, Kay. I don't want you to get hurt."  
  
"But can't I fight, too?" She asked, sounding disappointed.  
  
"This isn't like practice. I am going to be fighting our brothers, Kay. Do you think you could fight Naaza or Anubis and try to kill them? Or could you fight with them and try to kill me?"  
  
She looked doubtful and finally agreed to stay out of the way. Sh'ten asked the same from Wufei, Trowa, and Shin. "Just keep out of the battle. There's nothing you can do to help." Shin nodded, knowing that he would be a liability on the battlefield as he was still injured and without any power at all.  
  
Wufei shook his head. "We will not allow our friends to fight without us when we are able to do anything to help."  
  
"But you can't help, you haven't the strength to do anything." Sh'ten protested.   
  
"We'll do what we can." Trowa said, unwilling to back down as Kay had.  
  
Sh'ten mumbled, "You people listen like brick walls." After giving Nasutei to Shin, Sh'ten willed the changed from his monks robes and into the armor of Cruelty, jumping into the fray with his Kusari-gama his hands and ready for action. Wufei and Trowa snuck away, looking for some way to help, if only to distract the Ma-Sho.  
  
  
  
Naaza-  
  
  
  
  
Naaza was fighting with the inexperienced Suiko, a blonde child who looked as if he desperately wanted out of this battle, when it happened. He stopped fighting and tore the helmet off his head, letting it fall to the ground and not caring about the battle anymore. With a thought, the rest of his armor left him, leaving him completely vulnerable on the battlefield, but he still didn't care.  
  
"ARRRRRRR!" He screamed, getting Suiko's attention. Naaza reached up to the top of his head and dug his fingernails in as deeply as they could, drawing a great deal of blood. With one quick pull, Naaza ripped his face off and Suiko vomited.  
  
Naaza held the skin he'd torn off his face in his hands for only a second, reveling in the newfound comfort of a pain free face, even as the cold air stung like he was rubbing salt on an open wound. It hurt less with the skin off. He dropped his face's old skin and stripped his clothes off. Then he went to work peeling the skin off the rest of his body and the new bearer of Suiko, instead of taking the intelligent route and killing Naaza when he was vulnerable, watched in fascinated horror.  
  
Naaza ripped off the skin from everywhere he could reach and was terribly happy, even though he was now blind as the membranes on his eyes had been taken off with the old skin. He would see again in a few minutes, but now, ahh, the pain was gone! Naaza collapsed to his knees and stopped only when he heard the laugh.  
  
A ghastly, unnatural laugh the floated down from high in the air. "Fools! Can't even trust you to finish a battle properly, can I?" That was Badamon's tone, but certainly not Lady Kayura's voice.  
  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
  
At the beginning of the battle Duo pulled out his swords, prepared for anything. He enjoyed fighting the Ma-Sho and was swinging and probably using the Flame Up Now thing a little to often, but hey, it was fun! Well, it was fun until he saw Heero, insanely dressed and better hair that even Duo's! Heero was also carrying an unusual weapon. It was a battle-ax and the thing was razor sharp, but looked so heavy Duo didn't know how Heero could possibly lift it.  
  
"Heero? What are you doing?" Duo asked, confused and he lowered his sword.   
  
Sh'ten snapped at him. "That's not Heero! He's possessed, you must fight him!"  
  
Duo slowly shook his head. "I don't want to fight my, Hee-Chan."  
  
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
  
  
I watched from inside my own mind and couldn't do anything about it. The battle below me was fierce with strange...well, magic is the only way I can think to describe it. It was like being trapped in a glass prison where you could see and hear everything around you, but you couldn't do anything. The thing inside me was controlling my body and it watched Duo like a hawk, I could feel the lust it was feeling for Duo, and I hated it! How dare it think like that about MY Duo! My koibito! My love!  
  
My body held out an ax, incredibly heavy, but the power that this creature had given my new body seemed to be able to handle it.   
  
I was flying, somehow, without any support, my body was suspended above the battle and I watched Duo bashing the three opponents with gleeful laughter. I turned my head and saw, from the wall of the castle, Wufei and Trowa come out of a solid wall with Sh'ten, Shin, Nasutei, and a little girl I'd never seen before. The presence in my body stored away the knowledge of the secret entrance to use later.  
  
My body lowered itself until I was on the ground and the others could see it and my voice spoke, but it didn't sound like me. Not really.  
  
Duo, in full red armor and two thin swords in each hand looked at me with surprise. "Heero? What are you doing?" He lowered his swords and I wanted to yell at him, 'This isn't me, Duo! Can't you see? Can't you tell, this isn't me!' He should know that he has to fight, he can't let his guard down.  
  
Sh'ten called to Duo, "That's not Heero! He's possessed, you must fight him!"  
  
"I don't want to fight my Hee-Chan."  
  
'Please,' I thought, 'please fight me.' This new body feels powerful and I want to be away from Duo, somewhere I can't hurt him, because I know this force in my body can kill Duo.  
  
My body raised the ax and laughed at Duo, the force in me, Sh'ten had said I was possessed, the force was so pleased that Duo had lowered his weapon. All the better, it thought. The less the enemy fought, the easier the winning would be.  
  
'Stay away from my Duo!' I thought at it angrily, but in my mind it laughed at me, also.  
  
'What are you going to do to stop me, child?' With that, my body charged Duo, the ax upraised and Duo only barely managed to put his swords up to protect himself.   
  
'Fight back, Duo!' I tried to tell him. 'Kill me!'  
  
Duo had a frightened look on his face at being forced to fight me, I suppose. He was defending himself nicely, but that wasn't good enough, he wasn't fighting, not really.  
  
'He can't hear you, boy.' The voice inside me mocked. 'He only sees you and hears me.' Another swing at Duo's head and I wanted to kill again. Killing was easy and solved most of my problems. I really didn't know how to kill this thing that had taken me over, though and I suspect that my gun wouldn't work.  
  
Duo swung, it seemed to me that he was trying to knock the ax out of my hand, but I held on to the ax and both our weapons crashed into the side of the castle. The immense stone blocks of the wall start to fall, a result of our weapons, and dust flying into the air only confused things as neither of us could see properly anymore.  
  
One block of stone, larger than the others fell with a terrible thud and I heard the piercing screech of someone, "KAY!!"  
  
  
  
Kay-  
  
  
  
The battle was fantastic and the first real one I'd ever seen. Shin had asked me to stay with him and Nasutei when he'd laid her on the ground and sat on his heels near her. I agreed, but snuck away as soon as his back was turned to get a better look at the battle.  
  
My brothers were fighting wonderfully as were the other armored people. I do hope Wufei doesn't get hurt, he was terribly nice to me. I don't know most of the other people out there, but Sh'ten is fighting against our brothers and I think that's just wrong.   
  
I was watching from under a tree, trying to stay half way hidden behind shrubs like Ten-Chan had told me, but I'm starting to think that maybe I don't like fighting so much. I can see some of the people out there bleeding under their armor and my poor brothers are getting knocked around quite a bit. This isn't like practice when it's fun. During practice it's a game and what's going on now, doesn't look like a game to me. In fact, my stomach hurts and I don't want to watch anymore. I was starting to cry when I saw Naaza rip off his skin in the middle of battle and I'm so glad the other warrior doesn't attack when Naaza is so helpless.  
  
I saw someone in orange armor get bashed with Rajura's many bladed weapon he kept on his back, and he flew backwards with a cry. Wufei ran out of where he was waiting, as helpless as I was, and went to the fallen warrior. Wufei looked scared, his arms going around the orange warrior for a second, before the other got up and kissed Wufei lightly on the cheek before bounding back into the fray. Wufei touched his cheek where he'd been kissed, looking quite shocked.  
  
They fought and fell, got back up to fight again and fell again. It wasn't ending! It just kept going on and on, they weren't stopping! I can't stand it, I don't to watch this anymore. Ten-Chan was right, I don't belong here. I'm going to go back to my room and wait until it's over. I don't like fighting, not real fighting, anyway.  
  
I hadn't even taken one step when I heard something up right above me, a cracking. Just under the cracking noise, two of them were fighting.  
  
It was the boy I'd seen earlier, I think the others called him Heero, and he was fighting some guy in red armor. The swords and ax they were fighting with clashed, striking against a wall of the palace and the shock shook the wall, all the way to the top. I saw it coming down, through the branches of the tree, a huge section of the top of the wall, falling very quickly.  
  
Then pain and darkness.  
  
  
  
Sh'ten-  
  
  
  
I saw it coming as I was fighting with Rajura. It was not an even fight, as Naaza was pretty much blind with the shedding of his skin and Anubis was occupied with Seiji, focusing solely on that one Trooper. That left Rajura to deal with Quarte, Shu, Trowa, and me. Even Rajura was having a tough time of that until we all heard the ominous sound of stone ripping away from the palace wall and everyone stopping fighting with the exception of Badamon and Duo. The stone fell down to the trees we'd planted many, many years ago.  
  
I saw her then, staring up, just as we all were.  
  
"Kay!" I screamed, but knew none of us were close enough to save her. The stone crashed down with a deafening thud, bringing down the tree and Kay under it. The battle was unofficially over when Rajura, Anubis, Naaza, and I ran to Kay, leaving the Troopers behind, forgotten.  
  
  
  
  
Rajura-  
  
  
  
Her scream was piercing and all the Ma-Sho went pale at the sound, forgetting the battle.   
  
Sh'ten went deathly pale. NO, DEAR GOD, NO, NOT KAY. Sh'ten whispered, in their minds, thrown wide open from shock. Of all the people that could have died today, Kay was the least deserving. They ran to where she'd fallen, joined by Naaza who looked terrified, stumbling and feeling his way to Kay's side. The links between their minds were thrown open and Sh'ten saw how desperately afraid everyone was for their sister.  
  
Rajura was there first and nearly fainted at the sight of her body, crushed under the dead weight of the tree. Her eyes flickered open. "Jura-Chan?" Her voice was small and pitifully frightened, her eyes wide with pain.  
  
"Help me!" Rajura screamed. "Someone help me!" He put his shoulder to the tree. Anubis quickly joined him and strained to lift the tree, putting everything he had into it, but only lifting the immense thing a few inches. The stone that had flattened the tree must have weighted several tons, at least, and it was a bit much for even two Ma-Sho's. "Just a little more!" Naaza urged as he tried to pull Kay out. Sh'ten added his strength to theirs, but it just wasn't enough.  
  
Anubis refused to give up and heaved some more, but he was using everything he had to lift the fully-grown tree. It was a Nether Realms tree and vastly different from Earth trees, so much larger and heavier. PLEASE, SOMEONE GIVE ME STRENGTH! Anubis was crying in their minds, begging for just a little more strength and Rajura echoed him weakly, fearing that they were to late. Kay looked so pale and there was blood soaking into the ground all around her.  
  
Suddenly, the tree moved more easily and Rajura opened his eyes to find Kongo grinning at him from the other side of the tree with his arms wrapped around it. "Come on," Kongo mocked, trying to make his tone light, though it wasn't working with the worry in his eyes. "Don't tell me that's all you have in you! Lift! You call yourselves warriors and you can't pick up a tree? Come on!" The warrior of justice was the strongest person alive and even he was turning red in the face as he cheered us to lift. It was hard on him, also, but with his help, the tree lifted far enough.  
  
  
  
Shu-  
  
  
  
  
  
Shu watched the little girl for a barely a second before going to throw his back in to help. He sent a little apology to his friends. I'VE GOT SISTERS HER AGE. Strangely, that was all that he could think to say. He just saw his little brothers and sisters laying under that fallen tree. He could NOT let children die. That was just wrong. It was a little weird to help the Ma-Sho, but Anubis didn't chase him away when he helped to lift the tree.  
  
Seiji walked with him surprisingly. SHE'S JUST A CHILD. Seiji, cool and confident, never shaken by anything, was nearly in tears at the sight of Kay's body when Rajura and Naaza pulled her out. SHE'S SO YOUNG.  
  
Quarte was with them, also, and he was crying with tears running freely down his face. He was thinking of his house full of sisters and how heart broken he'd be if anything happened to them. It wasn't long before all the Troopers were standing with the Ma-Sho, heaving to lift the tree while Duo and Heero fought.  
  
Together, they managed to lift the tree just enough for Naaza to pull Kay's body out from under it. She was mangled from her chest down and blood soaked into the ground. All the Ma-Sho gathered around Kay, on their knees around her.  
  
Naaza patted Kay's long hair with shaking hands. He was a healer, but this was far out of his experience. As quickly as his vision was returning, he knew there was nothing he could do. He'd never seen anyone so badly wounded live. Rajura was crying and put his cheek to Kay's, kissing her gently and Anubis looked as if he wanted to kill something, but had no idea who to blame for this.  
  
"Don't cry." Kay reached up and touched Rajura's face before looking to the others. "Please, don't cry. I can't even feel anything." Her voice was breathy and rasping. Naaza guessed that her lungs were injured.  
  
"Seiji, you can help, right?" The Ma-Sho barely spared a glance at the bearer of Kongo who'd spoken to his friend. It didn't matter to them if they were killed now with the Troopers at their exposed backs. Their existence was starting to mean very little. First Sh'ten had left their family and now Kay was taken away. All they could think of was that she was going to die.  
  
Rajura didn't even notice the green armored warrior kneeling next to him until a stranger's hand touched Kay's forehead. Rajura snarled and raised a hand to attack Korin, but Anubis, surprisingly, stopped him. "Let him." Anubis said, softly. "He is a healer." There was such faith in Anubis' voice.  
  
Rajura lowered his hand and trusted Anubis' judgment. Korin, without a word, smiled down at Kay. He stroked her forehead for a moment before putting his hand flat on the top of her head and over her heart. Korin closed his eyes and started to glow green.  
  
Several injuries healed, but it wasn't enough. Even Rajura could tell Korin was actually working to save Kay. The young man was hurting himself doing it. Blood ran from Korin's nose and out the corner of his mouth. When his eyes started to shed blood tears, Kay opened her eyes and put a hand up to push his hand away with her remaining strength. "Stop."  
  
When she'd pushed him away the contact was broken and Seiji looked stunned, shocked at the breaking so soon. He probably wasn't even aware that he was hurting himself. Kay smiled. "Thank you, but I don't think it's going to help."  
  
"Kay," Rajura started, but she closed her eyes and started to shake.   
  
"I...I don't think there's enough left of me to save, Jura-Chan." Her breath was coming in pants now. "I...I'll miss you, my Oniisan's."   
  
Seiji, still kneeling on the ground, began to mourn the loss of a child. An innocent. Even if she did belong to the darkness, she was still a child. A child!  
  
  
  
Sh'ten-   
  
  
  
Sh'ten watched in shock, unable to move. His stomach hurt to see Kay like that. Shu and Seiji helping the Ma-Sho to try and save her and he knew they were both thinking the same thing. Kay was a child. She should not die out her on a battlefield.  
  
Sh'ten looked at the fighting Duo and Badamon and knew that it was true. There was no way she should die and she wouldn't! The armor could save her, and she was well able to wear the armor, she was innocence and Wufei had seen the kanji mark on her forehead. Innocence. The armor healed as well as protected, if only she had one of the armors. There was only one way...  
  
Sh'ten threw himself into the middle of the battle and just as Badamon's ax fell toward Duo and Duo's sword fell toward Badamon, Sh'ten let down all his defenses and felt the two blades slice through him. The armor left him with cold swiftness, fleeing for the next bearer. Sh'ten heard screams and felt horror from all the others, but he knew he did the right thing.   
  
The armor of cruelty went to Kay and instantly encased her in its protection. Sh'ten smiled as he splashed into the shallow river below. Staring up at the sky of his home, Sh'ten thought it was a pity that he would miss seeing Kay wearing armor. How lovely the sky is today and the water is wonderfully warm.   
  
Oni Ma-Sho Sh'ten Doji died.  
  
  
  
Continued...  
  
  
OK, readers, what did you think? Should I let Sh'ten stay dead or have him come back? 


	16. Chapter 16   The Sweetest Gift

I have a little scene from Red Dwarf in here. I admit it, the whole Heero's fear of spiders was entirely for this one scene. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 16  
  
  
  
Kay felt warmth all over her, filling her up and suddenly she wasn't alone anymore. Everyone was worried about her and their thoughts ran through her mind. Everyone's thoughts, her brothers and the strange boys that she seemed to suddenly know so well. Seiji, Shu, Touma, Quarte, and even the boy, Duo, they were all with her in her mind, and as surprised as she was. Kay reeled with the new sensation of having other thoughts and emotions in her mind than her own, but was slowly able to get herself under control.  
  
KAY? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? That was Rajura's voice, Kay thought, and she could feel the worry from him. Her eyes fluttered open to see everyone looking down at her. Anubis was practically crying and there were strangers there, too. She felt how happy they all were, even the boys she didn't know, that she was safe and alive. There was only one person missing and Naaza was staring, not at her, but at something in the distance and Kay felt his shocked grief. He didn't believe what had happened.  
  
NO. Naaza's thought was not directed at Kay, but at the person missing. Kay sat up shakily and was very surprised to find herself in Sh'ten's armor, though it felt completely weightless.  
  
"What's going on?" Kay asked, as she looked around. "Where's Sh'ten?" Everyone looked at each other awkwardly and everyone felt sadness at her question. Rajura opened his mouth to say something, but Naaza suddenly screamed, black rage radiating from him as he threw his head back to cry out to the world.  
  
"NO!" Naaza burst into a run, charging for a little stream. Someone else, a young woman, was running from another direction, both toward the same target. Kay stood up, surprised at how light the armor was, and shook her head. This was very odd, but felt, at the same time, right.   
  
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, KAY? Anubis asked, giving her a hand to steady herself.  
  
YES, the mind talk seemed to come so naturally. BUT WHERE'S SH'TEN AND WHY AM I WEARING HIS ARMOR? HOW'S EVERYONE IN MY MIND? WHERE'S NAAZA GOING?  
  
Anubis, trying to conquer his own feelings of loss, let Kay see what had happened, from the tree falling during the battle to Sh'ten giving up his life for her. She saw the truth behind her home and family and knew everything instantly, everything that had been hidden from her.   
  
Kay shook for only a minute before she got a hold of herself and started to run with everyone toward where Naaza had gone. Kay's mind began to churn as she ran with the others to where Naaza had gone. She just knew there was an answer to solve everyone's problems, if only she could find it!  
  
  
Nasutei-  
  
  
Nasutei woke with her head in Shin's lap. He was touching her hair gently, but his eyes were focused on something in the distance.   
  
"Shin? What's going on?" He didn't answer, but she turned her head just in time to see a flash of steel and Sh'ten falling, limp and without his armor, to the ground. Nasutei's breath caught. "Sh'ten." She whispered in horror. Part of her said that Sh'ten would get back up, he would jump back into the battle. Sh'ten never moved. "Please, God." Nasutei said. "Please."  
  
Nasutei started to shake, as no one seemed to notice that Sh'ten had fallen. She pushed herself to her feet, grateful that Shin didn't try to stop her, and stepped out of the bushes where they were hiding. Sh'ten couldn't be dead. He was strong and brave and good, he didn't deserve to die! His narrow eyes that always seemed to know more than he was telling flashed into her mind and Nasutei broke into a run, desperate to get to him.  
  
  
  
Naaza-  
  
  
  
  
Nasutei was kneeling by Sh'ten in the water when I finally got there. She was crying, trying to turn Sh'ten over, though he was far to heavy for her to lift. God, please, not Sh'ten! I never told him I was sorry.  
  
I knelt in the water and helped Nasutei to roll Sh'ten onto his back, onto my lap. Without the armor Sh'ten had let himself be horribly wounded and now his naked body was torn almost in half by the deadly weapons of Recca and Badamon. Nasutei was shaking badly, ignoring tears that ran down her cheeks and her hands touched Sh'ten's throat.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked, not bothering to wipe tears from my own face.  
  
Nasutei choked back a sob and tried to speak clearly. "A pulse. He might...might not be..." Her fingers gingerly touched Sh'ten's neck, moved a bit and felt again. I wish she would stop. He was dead. Gone. Why did she have to hurt herself and me with worthless hope?   
  
Suddenly, Nasutei's fingers froze, and her mouth fell open. With a sharp movement, Nasutei looked up and locked eyes with me and I saw joy in them. "He's alive! I've got a pulse!" She smiled with relief, not wanting to take her fingers off her love's throat and the slow, but steady beat she'd found under the skin.  
  
My mind began spinning; taking in the horrible wound's by Recca's sword and Badamon's ax and the shallow water turning crimson with blood. "But we won't be if we don't get him healed soon." I lifted Sh'ten out of the water and carried him to the dry land, letting everyone gather around. God, he was so light! I'd forgotten how small Sh'ten is compared to the rest of us, thin and almost weak looking. His arms and legs swung loosely while I carried him and Nasutei was walking closely by my side, one hand on my arm and the other touching Sh'ten's glorious hair.   
  
It was not really much of a surprise, I suppose to find that we were all together in our collective mind, the Trooper children and my brothers and I. When one thinks about it, it was a rather obvious conclusion that we were all created together. I can now feel the Troopers in my mind, even as I lay Sh'ten down and look for some way to help him. Our minds had been mixed together when we'd thought Sh'ten had died. Perhaps it had just opened our minds enough to let them come together.   
  
Recca, I know now he was Duo, the newly found bearer of Recca and Korin, Seiji is terribly worried about the other one, Ryo. Duo is trying to fight without hurting the Heero, the boy Badamon has possessed, making the battle last longer. Shu is trying to keep his mind away from little sisters who are laughing in his mind, but he's thinking of Kay almost killed as a bystander in the battle. Quarte is just happy to be back with the boy, Trowa, and scared, as he hates fighting. Touma, Tenku, is happy to have the little Suiko, Shin, back and has an arm wrapped around him.  
  
Everyone is worried about Sh'ten. They all think he won't survive and they are pitying Nasutei and I for they all think we will be broken if Sh'ten dies. They are right about me. I can't live without Sh'ten. After living without him for several weeks, I understand that. He has to live. If he doesn't...if he doesn't live, I'll take my swords to my own throat and join him in death!  
  
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
  
Nasutei looked at me, her eyes red and puffy with tears, her skin blotchy from crying. "Can you do anything?" She asked hopefully, pleading with her eyes as she and Naaza knelt side by side, both of their hands on Sh'ten.  
  
"He wore himself out trying to save Kay." Shu started to answer for me. "He needs rest to do any..."  
  
"I can do it." I interrupted, in my usual crisp tone. Everyone looked at me doubtfully, but I don't care. I can do this! How could I possibly let someone die if I could help them? Sh'ten might not have ever been my best friend, but I'm not about to let him die!   
  
"Sh'ten would not want you to kill yourself trying to save him." Rajura told me. One of his hands was on Naaza's shoulder and the other was holding Anubis' hand. It was much the same sort of touching my brothers and I did almost unconsciously, just to reassure each other that we were there. Anubis, now there is another problem.  
  
Quarte added. "You don't even know if your healing will work. Sh'ten is hurt very badly." They are all thinking about Kay and how I almost killed myself trying, and failing, to heal her. I was weaker then and the damage was greater than it is with Sh'ten. With Kay, I had half expected to fail, but I'd had to try.  
  
Anubis, strangely, was the key to everything. But could I trust him again? "My resting place is in darkness." I reminded them all before looking at Anubis and forcing myself to a decision. I had to do this and more than for Sh'ten's sake. I have to do it for myself, to know if I can ever trust him again. "All I need is the dark to heal myself." I send a message directly to Anubis, letting no one else hear. I WILL TRUST YOU. WILL YOU HELP ME TO SAVE HIM?  
  
Not answering, Anubis simply raised both hands with a determined expression. I held my breath as darkness surrounded me and it came quickly and easily, like turning a light switch off. It was all I could do to stop my self from panicking, breaking down in tears and screams. After all these years, I still fear the dark, but I also know it will bring healing and strength. It was Shu who had taught me, long ago, not to let myself give into such unreasonable fear. He'd figured out my fear and, in a very out of character move, hadn't told anyone. He'd bought me a night-light and told me he'd be just across the hall if I needed anything. Strange.   
  
Anubis' darkness was not a painful experience, but soft and comforting. I'd expected it to be cold, but Anubis made it seem warm. I could neither see nor feel anything, as if I was in a void. God, I'd let myself become his prisoner! Anubis, who had left me and tried to kill me so many times. If Anubis betray me again, I can't ever escape. I'll be trapped here forever. Forever!   
  
'Stop it!' I told myself firmly. 'You're losing it!' I really didn't want Anubis to abandon me again. I don't know if I could survive the hurt again.   
Reluctantly, I opened my mind to the others. I have always hated letting anyone into my mind, but they were my brothers and right now I NEEDED them.  
  
Everyone was waiting for me, uneasily, and I saw myself through their eyes. It was like I was inside a solid shadow. They could see my dim outline and were trying to give me feelings of comfort and support, not easy, as they didn't entirely trust Anubis, either.  
  
I WON'T HURT YOU. That was Anubis.  
  
Seiji was quiet, not really wanting to talk right now.  
  
I DIDN'T ABANDON YOU, I WAS COMING BACK, AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE. JUST RELAX. NOTHING CAN HURT YOU IN MY DARKNESS.  
  
As soon as Anubis had said this, I felt my strength start to return. As if I hadn't been in battle only moments ago and with my best enemy, at that, the same enemy who was helping to heal him. Still, the darkness was just to confining. To close. LET ME OUT.  
  
DO YOU WANT A FEW MORE MINUTES TO GET ALL YOUR STRENGHT?  
  
NO! LET ME OUT!  
  
Suddenly, the darkness lifted and the bright light that passed for daylight in the Nether Realms stung my eyes for a minute. I had to gasp for air, and struggle to stop myself from shaking. He hadn't betrayed me!   
  
I almost smiled. I hadn't felt so strong since coming out of the caves when Ryo and Nasutei had rescued me ages ago. I felt like jumping for joy that Anubis had come through. He hadn't left me alone in the darkness.  
  
I knelt by Sh'ten's side, power rolling around inside me, begging to be released The power was almost intoxicating as I could almost feel it surging in my blood. I put out my hands, placing them on Sh'ten's bare chest. With the damage done to Sh'ten I find it hard to believe he's still alive, yet he is, but only barely clinging to life.   
  
I can feel every pain and broken nerve, every piece of torn muscle and the blood as it was seeping out, slowly now that most of it was gone. More than that, I can feel his thoughts centered on two people, more than anything else. Naaza and Nasutei, standing side by side and he's trying to get to them within his mind. Very interesting.   
  
I pushed out my power, a thing I'd always envisioned as a sort of thick green fog, pushing it into Sh'ten's broken body. It was slow at first, but the pain receded letting Sh'ten's body repair the damage after I'd given it a bit of a jump-start. I had only helped, encouraging Sh'ten's body to work faster and showing it how to work better at repairing itself.  
  
When I finally felt that Sh'ten could finish healing himself on his own, I detached myself Sh'ten, panting for breath. Someone caught me, stopping me from falling backwards. I looked up at the unexpected hands and found Anubis looking down at me, his face almost tender. We looked at each other for a heart beat before pulling away awkwardly. This was happening to quickly, I don't think I can handle Anubis being a friend again so soon. I hated him an hour ago. I thought I had hated him.  
  
I took a few minutes to pull the curtains of my mind firmly down to keep everyone out. I have to have them open to do any kind of healing, but I've vulnerable then. Weak enough that anyone who touches my could hurt me without intending to. As I shielded myself, I watched Nasutei and Naaza.  
  
Sh'ten groaned softly and his eyes fluttered.   
  
Nasutei fell on Sh'ten who was blinking, trying to open his eyes weakly, kissing his cheek, to happy that he was alive to think about acting like a lady. Naaza, also, couldn't control himself and was kissing Sh'ten, too. Finally, Naaza and Nasutei looked at each other. "I think the three of us are going to have to have a long talk when this is all over." Nasutei said softly. Naaza only nodded in reply. He could give up Sh'ten happily to Nasutei, so long as Sh'ten was alive and happy.  
  
"Aren't we forgetting something?" Trowa asked seriously before pointing to where Duo and Badamon, in Heero's body, were still fighting furiously with no signs of either of them giving up. "I would rather like to have my team mates back again and in one piece."  
  
"I may have the solution." Rajura said after a moment's consideration. He looked at the Troopers cautiously. "Will you consider a truce?"  
  
Quarte answered for all of them. "Yes! Anything to end the stupid fighting!" He was still wearing Suiko and Shin cleared this throat meaningfully.  
  
"Do you mind giving me back my armor now?" Shin asked, trying very hard to be polite, even when all he wanted was to feel the weight of the armor and to have the comfort of his brothers in his mind again.  
  
Quarte nodded. "Of coarse not. Um, how do we do it?"  
  
"I suggest taking off the armor, first." Touma suggested. He had gone to Shin while Seiji was healing Sh'ten and filled him in on all the details. Now, Shin had an arm wrapped around Touma's waist and Touma had rested his hand on Shin's shoulder.  
  
Quarte did as they asked, after closing his eyes and letting the armor fade back into the marble sized ball. Even as he held it, the kanji changed again, back from Compassion and into Faith. We could all feel Quarte leaving our mind, and we weren't without regret. Quarte had a kind, just soul, something to be treasured. We'd been taken away from him and that couldn't be easy as Shin would testify.  
  
It felt like someone removing a piece of the puzzle, as Quarte's mind became closed to us. Quarte gasped, his eyes going wide, as he was suddenly alone in his own mind.   
  
"Quarte? What's wrong?" Trowa asked, putting a hand on Quarte's shoulder.  
  
Quarte shook his head, almost seeming to wake himself, "Nothing, I think. I...I think this is what is supposed to happen. I just forgot what it's like to be alone." He was just going back to the way he was before he'd gotten the armor. Alone with no more feelings or thoughts from the Troopers. Quarte shook himself from the shock and tried to smile as he handed the Orb back to Shin. When it touched Shin's hand, the boy instantly smiled, closing his eyes, no doubt reveling in the feeling of his mind opening to the others.  
  
Shu snorted, not happy with the idea of a truce, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I never agreed to stop fighting him!" Shu gave Rajura a sour look.  
  
Wufei slapped Shu on the back of the head. "Don't be difficult." Wufei said in an irritated tone.  
  
"Whatever you want, Little Panda." Shu would do anything for his Little Panda. Even if it did mean a truce with that jerk, Rajura.  
  
Rajura narrowed his eyes and concentrated. At first nothing happened. Then Badamon jumped away from Duo, an impossible jump that landed him nearly fifty feet away. Badamon turned to Rajura. "You! I can feel you using your power! What do you think you are doing?"  
  
"I do hope you can feel a simple trick like that." Naaza hissed. "I would hate to think that we'd been taking orders from an idiot all this time."  
  
"Traitors!" Badamon spat through Heero's voice. "You will die, you all will die for betraying Emperor Arago!"  
  
Anubis sneered, drawing his long sword. "Arago betray us when he allowed Sh'ten and Kay to be hurt, leaving them to die. We owe him nothing!"  
  
Rajura smirked, opening his eyes, at last. "I happen to know that Heero has a fear."  
  
Duo snickered as best as he could while he panted for breath after the fierce some battle with Badamon, hearing Rajura's comment. "Heero's not afraid of anything." Although, at this point, he'd have been glad if Heero had just one little weak spot that he could use. Duo had felt Sh'ten's near death as the others had and it had nearly lost him the battle with Heero. The shock of the pain and knowing that it was half his fault, almost made Duo falter.  
  
Rajura's smirk widened into a sadistic grin and he said, "Sick him, baby."  
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
  
Heero's body froze as he felt a tiny movement on his leg and slowly looked down. Heero's mind screamed, Oh, god, not more spiders!  
  
The part of him that was still Heero shrieked in terror at the sight of the large tarantula on his knee and struggled against Badamon to find comfort in the safety of fainting. The thing was moving!  
  
Badamon, unwilling to give up his new found body or the battle, forced Heero to stay awake, though all he could do was stare as the thing crawled higher.  
  
"Rajura! Call your animal off!" Badamon demanded, almost keeping Heero's fear out of his voice. Heero yelled at Badamon, within his mind, GET IT OFF ME!  
  
STOP YOUR CHILDISH FEAR AND GET BACK WHERE YOU BELONG! Badamon tried to push Heero to the back of his mind, where Heero should have been helpless to do anything to save himself. Heero fought back, pushing against Badamon just to get the spider off him. The huge spider was well up his thigh.   
  
GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! Heero was mentally battering Badamon as best as he could, trying to beat the spirit into brushing the spider off.  
  
"I think not." Rajura answered Badamon easily. Everyone saw something glowing on Heero's forehead. The kanji of Will.  
  
"Arago will hear of this!" Badamon threatened. BOY, GET BACK! I WILL KILL YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR LOVER AND THEY WILL ALL BE SPIRIT SERVANTS OF EMPEROR ARAGO! GET BACK TO YOUR PRISON!  
  
Heero couldn't hear or understand Badamon as he concentrated on the spider. It looked up at him, wiggling its feelers for a minute before walking again. Heero really wanted to faint. His mind stopped fighting aimlessly and just started to push itself forward with brute force. If the spirit wouldn't take the spider away, Duo would. Duo would help him and kill the icky thing. That's what gods of death were for, right? Killing things. He just had to get Duo's attention. He had to get Badamon out of the way.  
  
  
Rajura-  
  
  
"I suppose he will." Rajura replied as he put an arm over Kay's shoulder and watched with a mildly amused smile, as Heero seemed to fight with himself.   
  
"Was I really like that?" Kay asked, horrified at what she must have done.  
  
Rajura nodded silently. He wished he'd done this years ago before Kay had been hurt. Badamon had to suffer for what he'd done to two of Rajura's family. He had so few friends in the world, he was determined to protect the ones he did have.  
  
The tarantula was closing in on Heero's crotch and Badamon couldn't stop Heero's body from shaking. He was losing control and the kanji burned brighter on Heero's forehead.   
  
"There's more where that one came from." Naaza said mockingly, still crouching near Sh'ten. "Rajura has hundreds just waiting to come out and play with you Heero. Hairy, long-legged, little pinchers, big webs, and all those little eyes. Hundreds! Thousands!"  
  
That was true, Rajura thought. He literally had more spiders than he could count and, considering his sign was Endurance, Rajura could keep going forever until Heero's mind finally snapped.  
  
Duo, suddenly at Rajura's side, raised both his swords threateningly as he glared at the spider master. "If that spider does any permanent...damage...I WILL going to kill you." It came out as a snarl as Duo was very worried about the particular part of Heero's anatomy that the spider was getting to close to.  
  
  
  
Heero-  
  
  
  
Heero kept pushing at Badamon's formidable mind, desperate to get to the surface so he could get Duo to kill the spider. He pushed and pushed, feeling like he was shoving against a concrete wall. He had to get through! The spider was climbing higher!  
  
Badamon's control slipped further and further, as he wasn't able to control Heero's terror. The spider put one hair leg on Heero's privates. Heero screamed like a little girl and ran toward Duo.   
  
"Save me, Duo! Spiders!" Heero jumped into Duo's arms, clutching Duo's braid for support as he shook like a leaf. "Make it go away!"   
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
Duo caught Heero easily, though shocked at Heero's extreme reaction, but happy to have Heero back. Rajura easily reached over to try and retrieve his spider, but Duo smacked his hand before Rajura could touch anything...important. I'LL GET IT. Duo told him sternly. NO ONE TOUCHES HEERO "THERE" BUT ME!  
  
Duo easily picked up the spider and handed it back to Rajura who kissed it lovingly before setting it back on the ground and letting it go it's merry way.  
  
SHATTER THE EMBLEM AROUND HIS THROAT. Kay told Duo. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DRIVE BADAMON COMPLETELY OUT OF HEERO.  
  
Trusting the enemy more than he thought was possible, Duo raised his fist and as quickly as he could, punched Heero in the chest with his armored hand. The emblem broke into hundreds of tiny pieces and so did Heero's ribs.  
  
Heero promptly passed out from the shock as Badamon was forced out of his body, billowing like smoke from his mouth. The spirit floated up, over the group and glared down at them. "You will pay for this." Badamon snarled before turning his face to the castle. "Emperor Arago, your servants have betrayed you and side with your enemies! You must show them your strength!" With that last word, Badamon faded away.  
  
The ground rumbled, shaking like an earthquake. "What's going on?" Nasutei screamed to be heard while Naaza lifted Sh'ten who was still out of it.  
  
A giant in gray armor rose out of the castle, the palace crumbling into dust at his feet. The thing wore six swords on its back, and the face was something that no human could ever have. Pure evil and Nasutei recognized it as the facemask, much magnified, of Arago, from when the Ma-Sho had taken her and Heero into his throne room. Arago drew two of his swords, longer than buses and prepared for battle, though it seemed an inevitable outcome.  
  
Duo, wide eyed and frightened, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? He was still holding Heero and worried about what would happen to them all. This was no Gundam, it had no weak spots, as far as they knew. It was alive and thinking and had no pilots to make errors. How could they fight a demon?  
  
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
  
WE WAKE KIKOUTEI. I answered darkly, reminded Duo about his responsibilities as Recca. I know he was afraid of what had happened to Ryo the first time he'd seen Kikoutei, but we had to destroy Arago now that we finally had the chance and the Ma-Sho would fight with us.  
  
Duo licked his lips nervously and gave Heero to Trowa. "What do I do?" Duo asked me.  
  
"Nothing. Don't be afraid, just relax and accept what we're going to give you. You will hear a voice, but don't listen to it. It is like the voice of your armor, but it will be stronger, more powerful. It is also very evil. You must control it, Duo." Touma answered.  
  
  
Duo-  
  
  
  
Everyone, Trooper and Ma-Sho, including Kay, started to glow and Rajura was still holding Kay's shoulders to steady her, like when Touma had steadied Quarte the first time he'd had to go through it. The different colors of their armors shot toward Duo, who was scared shitless, and then were absorbed into him.  
  
They were all screaming in agony as they fell to their knees, the power pouring into Duo. It felt so good. Duo had never felt such pure pleasure, as if he could feel them all melting into him and their powers adding to his. His eyes rolled into his head for a moment, unable to deal with such feelings. It was better than sex! (For Duo, that's quite the exclamation!)  
  
Finally, he was able to think clearly and saw that he was now in the white armor Ryo had worn when he'd become Kikoutei. Everyone was slumped on the ground, except for Nasutei, Quarte, Trowa, and Wufei who were all with their respective loves.  
  
Power filled Duo's mind, and a whispering was trying to get to him. That was what Ryo was afraid of, Duo thought suddenly, what Seiji had tried to warn him against. That was Kikoutei trying to get in control. The whisper was quickly growing louder, making Duo think of how much fun it would be to just wear the white armor a little longer, but how tired he was.  
  
Duo was afraid and then he saw his friends drop like flies all around him. -See how weak they are, - the whisper told him. -They are not as strong as you are. It's a good thing you are wearing the armor, now you can protect them. - Like a seductive touch to his mind, it was trying to worm its way in. -You can do anything you please with me, Recca. Anything. Are you tired? I'll let you rest, you know. I can take care of everything while you sleep for a little while. -  
  
It was a stupid way to try and convince him, the thing was so obvious that Duo could see right through its scheme, yet he did feel suddenly tired. And maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just rest for a little while...  
  
No! That's what the others had warned him about, he couldn't give in or he'd be lost forever!  
  
Duo felt the slight, comforting weight of his crucifix around his neck and then did something he hadn't done in many, many years.  
  
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.   
  
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,   
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."  
  
It was the only part he remembered from prayer class, so he just kept repeating it to himself, over and over again. Frankly, Duo didn't want to think of death right now, not with the armor whispering to him and the armor clad giant looming over head, but the prayer was working. He could think straighter without the voice in his head.  
  
The giant demon thing slashed its sword at Duo. Duo reached for his swords, but they were gone! He started to panic when he was suddenly knocked out of the way, thrown to the ground by a heavy force. He looked up to see, not Byakuen, but an identical tiger that was black and wearing armor similar to his own. It was the same one that had helped Ryo with Kayura. The tiger roared at Arago before turning to Duo. On it's back were two swords and Duo instantly knew they were his.  
  
He took the swords and raised them. "You won't live through this, you ugly goober! Shinagami has come for you!" Duo's lips twisted into a playful smile as he reverted to his usual persona for battle. Shinagami deals with these situations so much better than Duo did.  
  
The monster laughed and Duo managed not to cringe at the sound. "Little fool! How can you kill a demon? You think those absurd swords will so much as make a scratch in my armor?" His voice was low and deep, and much, much too loud.  
  
Duo suddenly knew what to do. He spun his swords around and hit the hilts together, letting the two swords click together. Raising the swords over his head, Duo cried out, "RAGE OF INFERNO!" A massive wave of fire that would have put any Gundam weapon to shame, burst from the swords shooting toward Arago furiously. The fire hit him and Duo heard the demon scream. Arago stepped through the fire, coming menacingly close to Duo.  
  
Duo raised the swords again aiming for Arago's now charred armor. "RAGE OF INFERNO!" Again, the same thing happened, with Arago stepping through the fire, even closer to Duo. Arago, though, looked like he was moving a bit slower, and his armor was even more burned.  
  
Duo gasped for breath. He didn't know if he could handle this, he was so tired and the voice was starting to whisper to him again. -Rest, Duo. Let me take care of your enemies. I have so many hidden powers you know nothing about. Let me help you.-  
  
Duo shook his head, determined not to let this mere armor take over his mind. Duo raised the swords a third time, but then he felt something near him and looked around. They were ghosts! All around him, the spirits of his friends, Quarte, the Troopers, and the Ma-Sho were watching him. They needed him. Everyone and everything needed him and he could not fail. "You...you're dead?" Duo asked.  
  
Seiji shook his head and lay a hand on Duo's arm, instantly, Duo felt stronger. One by one, all of his friends added their strength to his, until Duo was finally able to send out one more, "RAGE OF INFERNO!"  
  
Arago screamed once more, but this time, when the fire died away, Arago was no where to be seen. Was he dead or...  
  
Duo smiled slowly, not sure if he could believe his own eyes. The thing was gone. They won! Duo smiled at the ghosts of his friends when they all walked back to their bodies and seemed to sink back into them. Duo felt a pulling at him and the lights of his friends were pulled out of him, returning to their rightful owners and Duo felt Kikoutei's disappointment.   
  
No wonder Ryo hated Kikoutei. The thing was a little to persuasive and felt way to good. Duo's world blurred and he passed out, falling hard onto his face.  
  
  
  
Seiji-  
  
  
  
Slowly, everyone started to wake up. Kay shouted as the city began shaking around them, "Hurry, we have to get out of here!" Everyone got to their feet and formed a circle around those who had no armor, or who were unable to do anything with it.  
  
"What's going on?" Quarte asked, frightened. Everyone joined hands, rather everyone with armor joined hands, surrounding those without armor and Duo who was still passed out. "What's happening?" Quarte asked, worried.  
  
"Arago created the city with his mind and now that Arago is gone, the city will fall with him. The Nether Realms will return to chaos." Kay spoke with knowledge that she had no reason to have. Perhaps it was given to her by Kaosu. I showed Quarte how to think, how to make the transport work and get them all back to Earth.  
  
A blur of light and a slight light headed feeling, and we were back on Earth.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
We arrived on Earth with the Ma-Sho and Kay, with everyone still in their armor. Naaza carried Sh'ten with Nasutei hanging on his arm fretfully. They all looked the worse for wear especially as everyone seemed to be leaning on their significant other. Wufei and Shu had, as everyone had expected, chosen to lean on each other. The Ma-Sho were all fairly calm, considering the destruction of the only home they'd had known for four centuries and they had no where to go now, with the grave exception of their worry for Sh'ten.  
  
Once we were safely back on Earth, everyone started to wake up. Heero and Duo groaned, fighting to wake up and stand. The pilots went to help them, letting their friends lean on them.  
  
Sh'ten opened his eyes and blinked, looking around. He noticed rather quickly that Naaza and Nasutei were both looking at him and that Naaza was carrying him. "Let me down, Naaza."  
  
"No, I don't think so."  
  
Sh'ten frowned. "I'm much better now and I can walk on my own."  
  
"Live with it." Naaza told him, tightening his arms around Sh'ten. "You are still injured, so let yourself rest."  
  
"Naaza..." Sh'ten started in a dangerous tone.  
  
Nasutei interrupted him with a sharp, "Shut up!" Naaza and Sh'ten both looked at her, surprised. Nasutei glared at Sh'ten. "Just let him carry you. You worried us both half to death, so I don't want to hear you complain. You'll be pampered whether you like it or not!"  
  
Sh'ten and Naaza blinked at her before Naaza grinned at Nasutei. "I like you. You really know how to handle the brat."  
  
"Thank you." Nasutei replied quite calmly, now that she'd gotten her message across.  
  
"Don't I get a say in my own treatment?" Sh'ten asked, mildly annoyed.  
  
"No." His caretakers replied at once.  
  
"Well," Sh'ten looked at Kay who was still wearing his armor. "Armor, at least?"  
  
Kay took off the armor and handed the Kanji ball to Sh'ten. Now she was dressed in the robes of a priest, with the staff and everything. She seemed to lose focus for just a moment and then smiled. "I remember!"  
  
"Remember what?" Rajura asked.  
  
"That song, you remember, the ones about the seasons that I was always singing?"  
  
"Yes, what about it."  
  
"I remember where I heard it. It's the second half of the poem and tells about the seasonals, you!" Kay looked at her brothers. "You aren't really supposed to be evil, you were the seasonals and your armor is supposed to be of the different seasons. My grandfather taught it to me long ago. Before I met you."  
  
"Is it important?" Anubis asked.  
  
"Very. The different armors are mean to be different strengths and powers. While the Troopers are elements, fire, water, spirit, air, and earth. The Ma-Sho armors are seasons, spring is Sh'ten, summer is Rajura, fall is Naaza, and winter is Anubis. It all fits together." She smiled, apparently very happy at her discovery. It's meant to be a cycle, of sorts. The elements are forces that can't be stopped while the seasons are a cycle that nothing can break." With that she smiled at Sh'ten. "Not even death can break disrupt the seasons."  
  
I listened to them with a half an ear as we approached the wreckage of Nasutei's home. How interesting. So the Ma-Sho represented the seasons as we represented elements. I wonder if there are any other similarities between us.   
  
The fire we had built near Ryo had died away, leaving only cold ash, but Ryo wasn't there. I thought that he may be sleeping still, but he's gone. There are footprints on the ground and it looks like there's been a fight of some kind. I see blood on the ground.  
  
WHERE'S RYO? I asked in our mind. They all looked around, but the fire they'd built for him was cold and lifeless, with Ryo no where to be seen. Byakuen, letting out a roar, bound off, into the forest in the direction of the lake.  
  
THE CABIN. I thought to everyone and we all followed Byakuen who would have caught Ryo's scent. The tiger always knew how to find Ryo. Nasutei's cabin by the lake was not far, but had probably survived the battle with Kayura.  
  
I led them through the forest, now lit with daylight. Everyone perked up at an unusual forest sound.  
  
"Happy birthday to you,  
Happy birthday to you,"  
  
Oh, yes. It's my birthday was in three days. Ryo never forgot it, always giving sweet gifts like flowers or candy or a good, hard fuc...wait, gentlemen don't say such things!  
  
"Happy birthday to you,"   
  
They were definitely getting closer to the voice, Ryo's off key singing.  
  
"Happy birthday, dear Seiji,"  
  
The cabin appeared through the trees and we all saw Ryo sitting on the rail of the porch, swinging his legs happily and smiling from ear to ear.   
  
"Happy birthday to you."  
  
Ryo finished the song and lept off the rail he was sitting on and rushed Seiji. "Happy birthday, love!" He gave Seiji a big hug and passionate kissed. With his arms still wrapped around Seiji's neck, Ryo looked up at his koibito. "I was so worried about you, Seiji. I woke up and I was all alone. Err," Ryo suddenly noticed that the Ma-Sho were all with them. "What are they doing here?" He asked.  
  
THEY'RE ON OUR SIDE NOW. Seiji answered, stroking Ryo's hair affectionately.  
  
"Oh." Well, if Seiji trusted them, then Ryo could to. "Anyway, then, I got a visitor and I thought you might like to meet him." He cast a sly look at the cabin behind him before looking at and the recently awakened Heero and Duo.   
  
Heero and Duo, once they'd woken up properly, were now staring at each other. Duo, in Heero deprivation, had almost instantly attacked Heero with a kiss. He hadn't let go in almost five minutes and was, apparently, planning to take it a step further as he pulled on Heero's shirt. Heero was making a half hearted effort at trying to keep his clothes on, at least while everyone was watching.  
  
"Duo, can I have my armor back, now?" Ryo asked plaintively.   
  
Duo, detached himself from Heero just long enough to put the armor back in the orb and toss it to Ryo. Duo swayed a minute at the loss of the bond, but quickly recovered and seemed relieved to be alone again.   
  
How odd. I can't imagine what I would do if I found myself alone again. It would be the worst kind of torture and I'm so glad that both Shin and Ryo had not suffered for to long without us.  
  
When Ryo caught it and examined it, the kanji turned back from Passion and into Benevolence. Ryo smiled, relieved as he rejoined his brothers properly, and slipped the orb back into his pocket. He would ask exactly what had happened to the Ma-Sho later, but not seeming all that worried as their presence entered his mind, also.   
  
Ryo jumped back up to the door and paused dramatically. "Do you want your present, Seiji?"  
  
I nodded, but I have no idea what this could possibly be. Who could Ryo have in the cabin?  
  
Ryo swung the door open and everyone gasped, except for Heero and Duo who were ignoring everyone at the moment. In the center of the one room cabin was a chair and tied to the chair was Dr. J.   
  
I felt horrible anger growing inside me. Dr. J was tied, hand and foot with a gag in his mouth and a terrified expression. It was a beautiful sight. His clothes were shredded and all his exposed skin was marred by long, bloody gnashes. I automatically glanced at Ryo whose fingernails were caked with blood, but decided not to ask questions at this time, as he was smiling so happily innocent. He was very proud of the present he'd found for me.  
  
I stepped up to stand next to Ryo, in the doorway of the cabin, but just couldn't take my eyes of Dr. J as he squirmed for freedom. "Thank you, Ryo. How very thoughtful of you." I kissed his cheek lightly.  
  
Now, what to do with Dr. J?  
  
Dr. J who was frantically trying to get Heero's attention. It wasn't working as Duo was currently occupying Heero with a long, passionate kiss.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Duo mumbled through their locked lips every time he came up for air. "I hated to fight you, darling. But I had to do it."  
  
Heero grumbled a reply. "Shut up and kiss me." He wasn't used to being away from Duo for more than a couple of hours and didn't like to be deprived of his basic necessities. Like Duo.  
  
"Yes, Heero." Duo happily complied.   
  
Anubis growled, stepping into the cabin, right passed me, bending over to get right in Dr. J's frightened face. "Fool! You hurt my Seiji!"  
  
Ryo instantly scowled and hugged me tightly. "MY Seiji!" It's nice to have a possessive love. Not that Ryo has anything to worry about, really.  
  
Anubis conceded with a slight bow of his head. "Your Seiji, but my student. How dare you cross me!" He looked back at Dr. J who, with a gag in his mouth, obviously couldn't reply.  
  
Shu asked, "Who is this guy? What's he done that's so horrible?"  
  
I knew I would have to tell them all. As much as they love me, none of them would let me just going around killing people, especially Shu who needed a reason for this sort of thing. He couldn't allow injustice, even from his brothers and friends. I opened my mind and let out what I had earlier shown Ryo about my past.  
  
Shu practically spit at Dr. J when it was over. "Let's kill him! That would be justice! Kill him now!" Everyone, Ma-Sho and Trooper, were pretty much of the same opinion and even the Gundam pilots weren't arguing, but looked at Dr. J thoughtfully. Even gentle Quarte looked very angry as he knew how Heero had been treated during his training. The only dissension was Sh'ten.  
  
"Not that I don't think he deserves death, but I can think of the most interesting things to do with him than just kill him." Sh'ten said softly, still in Naaza's arms. "I am, after all, the warlord of Cruelty and I've had lots of time to practice my particular skill. But, I'm afraid I'm still to weak, I can't do it myself. If I had an assistant, however, I could teach a few things. Seiji? Care to join me in a lesson?"  
  
For once, I allowed myself to smirk and then let the smirk grow in to a cruel, sadistic smile. "Oh, yes. One should always take the opportunity to learn new things."  
  
"Perhaps Heero might like to help, so long as he doesn't do anything foolish." Sh'ten also suggested.  
  
Heero, finally getting enough of a Duo-fix that he was able to pull away from his lover, nodded, not letting his emotions get the better of him any more than I had. "I will no nothing unless Dr. J orders me to."  
  
"I think we can handle that." Anubis reached under his long cape and pulled out a short sword. It was identical to the short sword he'd given me when I was a child! Anubis looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry. I found out Dr. J had the one gave destroyed. This is its mate, though. I've had them for years."   
  
We cut out Dr. J's tongue, just to be sure he didn't try to order Heero to do anything foolish, with the short sword after shooing everyone out of the room except Sh'ten, Heero, Anubis, and I. It took us four hours and twenty-eight minutes exactly to finish the job and, I believe Heero enjoyed it as much as I did. In the end, Dr. J died. Yippee!  
  
I came out of the make shift "interrogation" room with a smiling Heero and a laughing Anubis. We'd all cleaned up, enough to be in polite company, at least we didn't have blood all over ourselves. Sh'ten looked pleased with the professional job, but told Nasutei, Shin, and Ryo not to go in there. I went directly to Ryo and hugged him tightly, whispering, "Thank you, Ryo. That was the sweetest gift anyone ever gave me."  
  
  
  
Epilogue-  
  
  
  
In the end, it was decided that the Ma-Sho and Kay would stay with Nasutei and the Troopers, in the cabin while the mansion was being rebuild, this time to accommodate eleven people and a tiger (Six bathrooms and a cat door you wouldn't believe!). They would all have to take time to adjust to living together and to get over the past, but they were all pretty well certain that they manage it.   
  
The pilots went back to their war, though Heero wasn't sure what he would do without someone to give him orders. Luckily, Duo had offered to order him around. :) It was fairly safe to assume they wouldn't look at the war in the same way again. Trieze didn't seem so much of a threat when compared to the demon Emperor who had tried to destroy everything, not just take over a few things.   
  
Heero's mission to kill Seiji had been erased once Dr. J was dead. Heero was gradually learning to think on his own and decided that it would be very bad to kill Seiji. Especially as he would likely get Seiji's armor and be taken away from Duo to fight whatever battle the Troopers were working on next.  
  
Wufei gave his cell phone number to Shu and promised to visit soon. Very soon. As the unlikely couple stood apart from everyone Wufei reached out and touched Shu's cheek. "If I catch you eyeing any one else, I'm going to remove your intestines through your nose." Wufei smiled gently.  
  
Shu grabbed Wufei in a tight bear hug, whispering, "If I even hear of you cheating on me, I'll rip off your legs and stick them in your ears. Bye, Little Panda."   
  
As they were leaving, Nasutei tore herself away from Sh'ten and Naaza to bow to them. "Remember, if you ever need a place to stay, even if it's just for a rest, you are always welcome in my home."   
  
Nasutei pulled Naaza and Sh'ten aside for the little talk she'd promised earlier. No, she didn't want Naaza to step out of the picture, she just wanted to step in the picture with both of them. As Sh'ten loved both Nasutei and Naaza, it wouldn't be right to make Naaza just go away. "I'm a big girl." She reassured them both. "I know how to share."  
  
  
  
Pilots-  
  
  
  
The pilots were walking through the forest, away from the cabin when Trowa asked Quarte. "What was it like to be apart of a hive mind like that?"  
  
"It was beautiful." Quarte answered easily. "A little scary at first, but wonderful. It was like knowing them all better than you'd know your best friend. I could feel everything."  
  
"You're nuts." Duo snorted, his arm still around Heero. "That was one of the most horrible experiences of my life!" He never wanted to go through that again. Ryo could keep the damned armor for all he cared! Having people in your head? Fighting demons? Ugh! He just wanted to go back to his Death Scythe and go back to a normal war.   
  
"But it wasn't all awful, Duo. Tell the truth. You liked Kikoutei." Quarte's voice was teasing and Duo knew that Quarte knew all about how erotic Kikoutei had felt. Duo blushed, but didn't tell Quarte the whole truth. He didn't want them to know he'd had voices talking to him and he'd been very, very tempted to let the Kikoutei have it's way.  
  
"Kikoutei DID feel good, but I don't want to wear it again. One thing's for sure, though. I'm going to start going to church again." Duo told them, thinking of how the prayer had held of Kikoutei long enough to get the job done. He wasn't quite sure how that had worked, but he knew that it did work. That was all he needed to know.  
  
Wufei asked, "Do you think that demon Arago is really dead?"  
  
No one had an answer.  
  
  
  
  
End  
  
  
  
  
Reviews, please! I need them. Valandra, Katie, did you like it? I told you   
Dr. J would get justice in the end and who better to see this gets done properly than the Ma-Sho of cruelty?   
  
I know Seiji is very out of character at the end, most of the Troopers are. Oh, well. Dr. J just had to die and I thought Seiji deserved to play after everything Dr. J had put him through.   
  
Besides, I like Seiji being sadistic.  
  
  
  
  
Be on the look out for my next story, Shadows of Arago. Crossover YST (Ronin Warriors) and Babylon 5. All the Troopers and the Ma-Sho are ageless, they can die, but not of old age. Therefore, hundreds of years in the future, they are all spread out through the galaxy, living their own lives, when a spirit appears and tells them Arago is returning and gathering strength for another war. They must regroup at the place where the war is to happen. Where else? Babylon 5.  
  
  
  
Till next time, thanks for all your wonderful reviews!   
  
  
  
Sayonara! 


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